ESW- 4 :- Elevator Servicing Safety: Precautions Every Technician Should Follow

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Elevator, Escalator & Moving Walk

Elevator Servicing Safety: Precautions Every Technician Should Follow

Only authorized and trained persons should service elevators. When more than one person is working, the supervisor should clarify each person’s responsibilities and tasks before work begins.

Planning the Job 

• Review the job scope, the elevator type (traction, hydraulic, or machine-room-less), and the manufacturer’s service manual before starting.
• Complete a job hazard analysis or risk assessment, and discuss it with everyone on the team.
• Check the previous service records and any open defect reports.
• Confirm that you have the right tools, spare parts, and PPE before you go to the site.
• Confirm that you know the emergency procedures and the nearest first-aid kit and exit.
• Do not start work if you are unwell, tired, or under the influence of any medication or substance that affects alertness.

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Tools and Equipment

• Make sure the tools and equipment needed to complete the work safely are available.
• Use only approved insulated tools that are in serviceable condition.
• Test electrical test instruments regularly, according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• Use all tools, equipment, and devices according to the manufacturer’s instructions and guidance.
• (New) Inspect tools and instruments before each use, and remove damaged items from service.
• (new) Use only calibrated meters rated for the voltage you are working on.
• (new) Never modify tools or use makeshift tools in place of the correct ones.
• (new) Keep tools secured or in a bag so they cannot fall into the shaft.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Wear company-provided safety shoes while working.
• Wear a safety helmet in the shaft whenever material could fall from a height, for example, during roping changes.
• Wear a full-body harness where there is a fall hazard of a 1.8 m drop and a 300 mm gap from the level of work.
• Wear gloves where there are sharp-edge hazards.
• Wear safety goggles or a face shield while drilling, chipping, or grinding.
• Wear a dust respirator where dust is generated.
• Contact your engineer if you need any of this equipment.
• (new) Wear hearing protection in noisy machine rooms or when using noisy tools.
• (new) Wear arc-rated clothing and insulated gloves where there is an arc-flash or shock risk.
• (New) Inspect PPE before each use, and replace damaged items immediately.

Site Safety and Lone Working

• Familiarize yourself with the site, the building representatives, and the site’s working practices and safety procedures.
• Look for special risks before you start, and apply adequate risk controls. If in doubt, contact the engineer or safety officer.
• Coordinate with the site agent, builder, building owner, or their representative, especially if you are working alone. Tell them where and when you will be working.
• If possible, have a responsible person check on your welfare periodically.
• Avoid working in a building that is otherwise unoccupied.
• Take work instructions only from authorized elevator personnel.
• Keep your colleagues informed of what you are doing and where.
• Carry a charged mobile phone or radio, and agree on check-in times when working alone.
• Know the building’s evacuation routes and fire alarm signals.
• Keep other trades and the public away from your work area with barriers and signs.

Before You Start Work

• Alert the owner or superintendent on arrival.
• Place “Out of Service” signs on the elevator and at every landing entrance before any work begins.
• Secure the elevator from the riding public. Make sure no one is in the car, close the doors, and prevent the doors from operating.
• Tuck in loose clothing, tie back long hair, and remove all jewelry.
• Do not smoke or use open flames in the work area.
• Keep your workplace clean and tidy during and after the work, including the control panel area, landing area, and car top.
• Barricade the landing entrance whenever a door is open or a hoistway is accessible.
• Apply lockout/tagout whenever power is not required, and verify that the equipment is de-energized.
• Test your meter on a known source before and after checking for voltage.

Machine Room

• Restrict unauthorized entry to the machine room.
• Avoid standing or walking on the trapdoor.
• Open the controller door only with the controller door key, never with another tool.
• Be careful when switching MCBs in the controller, because it is possible to touch their metal parts.
• Never run the elevator under power with any safety bypassed.
• Keep your hands away from the main sheave and all other moving parts.
• Switch off the mains before manual winding, and make sure all landing doors are closed first.
• Take special care when servicing governors in awkward or tight spaces.
• Close the controller door and the machine room door when all work is complete.
• Keep the machine room clear of stored materials, rubbish, and flammable items.
• Make sure there is adequate lighting and clear access to the controller and machine.
• Keep a suitable fire extinguisher nearby, and check that it is up-to-date.
• Be careful of hot surfaces such as motors, brakes, and resistors.
• Keep the machine room ventilated and the temperature within the equipment’s limits.
• Do not leave oil or grease on the floor, as it creates a slipping hazard.
• Never override or bypass overspeed, governor, brake, or limit switches.

Car Top

Entering the car top

• Use only the company-provided emergency key to open the landing door, never any other tool.
• Switch off the cabin fan before entering.
• Do not enter if the car top is more than 1 foot above or below the landing level. Check that the car top is level with the landing first.
• Before stepping on, check that shaft lighting is adequate, and note the location of moving equipment and safety switches.
• Make sure the CAR TOP STOP and INSPECTION switches are set correctly from the landing before you enter.
• Never leave landing doors open and unattended when the car is not at that floor.
• Open the landing door no more than 15 cm at first, and confirm that the car is present before opening it fully.
• Mechanically block the landing door open or use the approved door-holding device.
• Test the stop switch and inspection switch independently before stepping on.

Working on the car top

• Use only a safety hand lamp (with a bulb guard and approved electrical cords) for lighting. Never use matches or open flames.
• Do not smoke inside the shaft.
• Wear no loose clothing, and keep your shirt tucked in.
• Stand upright and balanced, and grip a stationary part of the car structure firmly.
• Do not hold or lean on guides, brackets, walls, counterweights, ropes, or diverter wheels (in 2:1 roping) for balance.
• Run the elevator in INSPECTION mode only while traveling on the car top.
• Keep all parts of your body within the limits of the car while it is moving to avoid contact with counterweights or projections.
• Put the car top stop switch in the STOP position (circuit open) while you work.
• Alert your colleague whenever you operate the UP/DOWN switch.
• Watch for overhead obstructions when headroom is limited.
• Do not clean, oil, or grease while the elevator is moving.
• Stay in a position where you can reach the car stop switch at any instant.
• Know the refuge space on the car top and the clearances at the top of the shaft before moving the car.
• Keep tools and materials secured, and never leave loose items on the car top.
• Keep the car top clean and free of oil, grease, and debris.
• Never ride on the car top when the car is running at normal speed.
• Do not stand with one foot on the car top and one on the landing while the car can move.
• Use fall protection where there is an open edge or a fall hazard.
• Keep communication open with your colleague at the landing at all times.

If you are trapped

• Stay calm on the car top and call for help.
• Never climb on elevator parts to reach the landing door lock. This can have fatal consequences.

Pit

• Open the pit stop switch before entering, and verify that the car will not move.
• Never jump into the pit. Use the access ladder, and check that it is secure and free of defects.
• Make sure your shoes are free of oil and grease before climbing.
• Switch off the mains before starting any work in the shaft other than on the car top.
• Do not work if there is water in the pit.
• Stay clear of the counterweight, and position yourself away from both the car and the counterweight.
• Do not stand on the buffers.
• Make sure no part of your body projects into the adjoining area.
• Turn on the pit light before starting work.
• Check that the pit is clean, dry, and free of debris and tripping hazards.
• Check that the pit has adequate lighting and a working stop switch near the access.
• Set up mechanical blocking or a pit prop when you must work under the car.
• Deactivate the pit stop switch only after you have left the pit.
• Keep the pit ladder clear and do not store materials on it.

Moving Parts and Housekeeping

• Make the elevator inoperative (switch off the mains) before cleaning, oiling, or greasing any moving part.
• Hold wiping cloths in your palm. Never wrap them around your hand.
• Inspect or lubricate wire ropes only after the car has stopped, and stay clear of pinch points.
• Watch for tripping hazards in the pit and on the car.
• Check that tools are in good condition with proper electrical insulation.
• Dispose of oily rags in a covered metal container to prevent fire.
• Clean up spills immediately.
• Use approved lubricants and cleaning agents, and read their safety data sheets.
• Keep guards in place on rotating machinery, and replace any you remove.

Electrical Safety 

• Treat every circuit as live until you have verified that it is dead.
• Use one hand to probe circuits where possible, and keep the other hand away from metal parts.
• Do not work on live circuits unless it is absolutely necessary and your procedures allow it.
• Keep your hands, tools, and meters dry, and avoid working in wet conditions.
• Use only company-approved jumpers, tag them, and keep a record of each one.
• Warn colleagues before you apply a jumper, and never leave one in place.
• Check for capacitor or stored energy in drives before you touch them.
• Keep the area around electrical panels clear.

Doors, Interlocks, and Safety Devices 

• Never bypass door interlocks, safety circuits, or limit switches except as your procedure allows, and only for as long as needed.
• Check door locks and contacts for wear, and test that the car cannot move with the door open.
• Test the governor, safety gear, buffers, and final limit switches according to the schedule.
• Check that the door reopening device (safety edge, light curtain) works correctly.
• Check that the emergency alarm, intercom, and emergency lighting work.
• Report any worn or damaged safety device immediately and take the elevator out of service if needed.

Emergency Response 

• Know how to apply first aid and how to call for help.
• Report all injuries, incidents, and near misses to your supervisor, however small.
• If you smell smoke or see fire, stop work, raise the alarm, and evacuate.
• If you are trapped or injured in the shaft, use your phone or radio and stay calm until help arrives.
• Never attempt a passenger rescue unless you are trained and authorized.

Before Returning the Elevator to Service

• Remove all jumpers, and account for every jumper you used.
• Test all safety circuits and safeties to confirm they work.
• Replace any guards or covers removed during maintenance.
• Remove all “Out of Service” signs from every landing and door.
• Check out with building management before leaving.
• Remove all lockout locks and tags, and clear all blocks and barricades.
• Check that no tools, materials, or people are left in the pit, car top, or machine room.
• Run the elevator through its full travel and check door operation, leveling, and stopping.
• Confirm that all landing doors are closed and locked.
• Record the work done, parts used, and any defects found, and report any open issues.
• Tell building management what was done and any remaining concerns.