ESW- 15 :- Precautions When Working on Electrical Equipment in Elevators: Hazards, Dos, and Don’ts

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Elevator, Escalator & Moving Walk

Precautions When Working on Electrical Equipment in Elevators: Hazards, Dos, and Don’ts

Elevator technicians work around controllers, drives, panels, and wiring every day. Even a brief lapse can cause serious injury, so safe electrical work depends on knowing the hazards and following the same steps every time.

Electrical Hazards

• Electric shock and burns from contact with live parts.
• Arcing injuries: exposure to an arc, which occurs when electricity jumps from one circuit to another.
• Fire from faulty electrical equipment or installations.
• Explosion caused by unsuitable electrical apparatus.
• Arc flash and arc blast: a short circuit can release intense heat, light, and pressure, causing severe burns, eye injuries, and hearing damage.
• Falls and secondary injuries: a shock or arc can cause a sudden movement that leads to a fall, especially on a car top, ladder, or platform.
• Stored energy: drive capacitors and rescue batteries can hold a charge after the main switch is off.
• Interconnected circuits: control circuits from other lifts or from the building can stay live when your lift is isolated.
• Unexpected start-up: equipment can start when power is restored or when a circuit is bridged by mistake.
• Damaged insulation and loose connections: these cause overheating, short circuits, and shock risk.
• Water and moisture: leaks, condensation, and wet pits increase the shock risk.
• Induced or back-fed voltage: power can return through a generator, a rescue supply, or a connected circuit.

Dos

Personal Protection

• Wear proper electrical rubber gloves and other required PPE whenever you are exposed to electrical hazards.
• Check your electrical rubber gloves before every use. Inspect them for cuts, pin holes, and other damage, and carry out an air test as your procedure specifies.
• Use insulated tools when working on electrical panels.
• Stand with your face and body turned away when you operate panel switches.
• Use PPE that is rated for the voltage and the task, and check the test date or expiry on gloves and other insulated equipment.
• Wear leather protector gloves over rubber insulating gloves where your procedure requires it so the rubber is not cut or damaged.
• Wear arc-rated clothing, a face shield, and eye protection where there is an arc-flash risk.
• Wear safety shoes with non-conductive soles and a hard hat suitable for electrical work.
• Store gloves and insulated tools properly, away from sharp objects, heat, and sunlight, and replace damaged items immediately.
• Remove gloves before working near rotating or moving machinery, as your procedure requires.

Isolation and Energy Control

• Make sure the equipment is in a zero energy state (ZES) whenever power is not required.
• When the elevator has an automatic rescue device (ARD), switch off the ARD first, and then switch off the main switch. This order is mandatory.
• Isolate the lift at the main switch, and lock out and tag out the isolator when your procedure requires it. Keep the key with you.
• Test for dead before you touch anything. Use a meter that is rated for the voltage.
• Test your meter on a known live source before and after you check a circuit to make sure that it works.
• Treat every circuit as live until you have proven that it is dead.
• Check for other energy sources, such as rescue batteries, emergency lighting supplies, UPS units, generators, and supplies from neighboring lifts or the building.
• Wait for drive capacitors to discharge, as the manufacturer instructs, and check for residual voltage before you touch them.
• Release or block stored mechanical energy, such as springs, suspended loads, and the car and counterweight, before you work on related equipment.
• Do not rely on a stop switch to isolate a circuit. Stop switches stop the lift, but they do not isolate every circuit.
• Verify the zero energy state again if you leave the work area and come back.
• Restore power only after everyone is clear, the work is complete, and all locks and tags have been removed by the people who placed them.

Planning and Procedures

• Carry out a last-minute risk assessment before you start work.
• Follow all safety procedures and rules.
• Plan the job and read the wiring diagrams and the manufacturer’s manual before you start.
• Tell your supervisor, your co-worker, or the building representative where you will be working and what you will be doing.
• Work with a second person where your procedure requires it, and make sure that person knows how to switch off the power and call for help.
• Put up “Out of Service” signs and barricade the work area.
• Work only on tasks that you are trained and authorized to do.
• Stop work and reassess if conditions change, such as rain, a leak, a new hazard, or an unexpected reading.
• Hold a short briefing before higher-risk work, such as work in the controller or on drives, to review the hazards and the steps.

Equipment and Work Area

• Keep electrical equipment away from wet areas.
• Install electrical cords properly, and keep them tidy.
• Keep the area around panels and controllers clear, dry, and well lit, with a clear path to escape.
• Keep panel doors closed and locked when you are not working on them.
• Use cord and cable only if it is in good condition, with no cuts, exposed wires, or damaged plugs.
• Keep cables and test leads away from moving parts, ropes, and sharp edges.
• Use equipment, tools, and portable lamps that are approved, tested, and suitable for the environment.
• Use residual current devices (RCDs/ELCBs) on portable tools and supplies where required.
• Label switches, fuses, and terminals clearly, and make sure drawings match the installed equipment.
• Keep fire extinguishers suitable for electrical fires nearby, and know how to use them.
• Keep the work area clean, and take away rubbish, oily rags, and flammable materials.

Working Safely on Live Circuits (only when unavoidable)

• Work on live equipment only when it is necessary, for example, for fault finding or tuning that cannot be done any other way.
  
• Do this only if you are qualified and your company procedure allows it.
• Use insulated tools, insulated gloves, and other required PPE.
• Use one hand where possible, and keep the other hand away from metal parts and earthed surfaces.
• Keep a second person nearby, trained in emergency response and able to switch off the power.
• Use barriers or covers to keep other live parts from being touched by accident.
• Do not work alone, in a hurry, or when you are tired.
• Do not leave live equipment unattended with covers removed.

Jumpers and Bypasses 

• Use only approved jumpers, and only when your procedure allows it.
• Tag every jumper, record it, and tell your co-worker when you install it.
• Never leave a jumper on a safety circuit, door lock, or limit switch when the lift is in normal service.
• Account for every jumper before you leave, and remove all of them before returning the lift to service.
• Test the safety circuits after you remove the jumpers.

Before Returning the Lift to Service 

• Check that all covers, guards, and panel doors are replaced and secured.
• Remove all jumpers, tools, and materials from the controller and panels.
• Remove locks and tags in the correct order, and confirm that everyone is clear.
• Restore power in the correct sequence, and switch the ARD back on as the manufacturer instructs.
• Test the safety circuits, door locks, stop switches, and the ARD.
• Run the lift and check stopping, leveling, and door operation.
• Remove “Out of Service” signs, and record the work and any defects.

Don’ts

• Do not modify any permanent equipment connection without your supervisor’s knowledge.
• Do not probe or cross-check a high-voltage circuit that has not been isolated.
• Do not touch any unauthorized panel board, such as the customer’s panel.
• Do not wear metal ornaments, such as rings, chains, or bracelets, because they can conduct electricity.
• Do not install or repair sockets and plugs unless you are trained and authorized to do so.
• Do not assume that a circuit is dead. Test it first.
• Do not bypass or disable a safety device, interlock, or protective earth connection except as your procedure allows.
• Do not use damaged tools, cords, plugs, or PPE.
• Do not work on electrical equipment with wet hands, wet clothing, or while standing in water.
• Do not use metal ladders, tapes, or tools near live parts.
• Do not defeat a lockout or remove another person’s lock or tag.
• Do not overload sockets, extension leads, or circuits, and do not replace a fuse or breaker with a higher rating.
• Do not use a temporary or makeshift repair on electrical equipment, such as tape in place of proper insulation.
• Do not use water on an electrical fire.
• Do not work alone on live circuits, or when you are tired, rushed, or unwell.
• Do not leave panels or controllers open and unattended.
• Do not use a phone, wear headphones, or let other tasks distract you while you work on live or energized equipment.
• Do not restore power before you have checked that everyone is clear and the work is complete.
• Do not take shortcuts, even for a quick job.

Electrical Emergencies and First Aid

• If someone suffers an electric shock, switch off the power first if it is safe to do so. Do not touch the person until the supply is off.
• If you cannot switch off the power, do not touch the person. Use a non-conductive object only if you are trained, and call for help.
• Call for medical help immediately, even if the person seems fine, since electric shock can cause delayed heart problems.
• If the person is not breathing, begin CPR and use an automated external defibrillator (AED) if one is available and you are trained.
• Treat burns by cooling them as your first-aid training advises and covering them with a clean, dry dressing.
• If there is an electrical fire, switch off the power if it is safe, use a suitable extinguisher, and evacuate if the fire spreads. Never use water.
• Report every shock, arc, burn, and near miss to your supervisor, and investigate the cause.
• Know the location of the main switch, the first-aid kit, the fire extinguisher, and the nearest exit before you start work.

Quick Checklist for Electrical Work 

• Have I planned the job and read the drawings?
• Have I completed a last-minute risk assessment?
• Is the lift isolated, locked out, and tagged?
• Have I switched off the ARD first, and then the main switch?
• Have I tested my meter, tested for dead, and checked my meter again?
• Have I checked for stored energy and other supplies?
• Is my PPE rated, inspected, and in good condition?
• Are my tools insulated and undamaged?
• Does my co-worker know where I am and what I am doing?
• Are all jumpers, tools, and rubbish removed, and all covers replaced before I leave?