ESW - 20 : Safe Working Rules for Elevator Technicians: Essential Safety Guidelines: General Safety

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Elevator, Escalator & Moving Walk

Safe Working Rules for Elevator Technicians: Essential Safety Guidelines: General Safety 

To maintain a safe work environment, everyone must understand and follow all safety instructions. Safety instructions must therefore be published and distributed, and supervisors must make sure that employees know and follow them. At a minimum, general safety rules should cover the points below.

1. Training, Responsibility, and Supervision

• Train all employees, through knowledgeable personnel, in safety procedures and in ways to eliminate or minimize hazards before they perform work or direct others to perform it.
• Management must name a person at each job site who is responsible for making sure the company safety policy and these standards are put into practice.
• Allow only authorized, trained, and competent people to work on elevators and escalators.
• Give new workers an induction covering site rules, emergency procedures, and the hazards of the job, and supervise them closely until they are competent.
• Refresh training regularly, and whenever procedures, equipment, or site conditions change.
• Keep records of training, toolbox talks, and certifications.
• Make sure instructions and training are in a language and format that everyone understands.
• Give every worker the authority to stop work when something looks unsafe, without fear of penalty.
• Make sure workers know the manufacturer’s manual and the company procedure for the equipment they are working on.

2. Planning the Work 

• Carry out a job hazard analysis (JHA) or risk assessment before each job, and update it when conditions change.
• Hold a short toolbox talk (TBT) to review hazards, roles, emergency steps, and stop-work conditions.
• Check that you have the right tools, equipment, PPE, and spare parts before you start.
• Tell your supervisor, the building representative, or a colleague where you will be working and what you will be doing.
• Agree on roles and signals when several people work together, and keep communication open throughout the job.
• Do not start work if you are unwell, tired, or under the influence of alcohol, drugs, or any medication that affects alertness.
• Do not take shortcuts, and do not hurry. Rushing is a major cause of incidents.

3. Personal Protective Equipment 

• Provide, use, and maintain PPE in a clean, reliable condition to protect against job site hazards. PPE includes protection for the eyes, face, head, hands, and feet, protective clothing, hearing protection, and respiratory devices.
• Match PPE to the task. For example, wear a hard hat and safety shoes for general work, cut-resistant gloves for sharp edges, insulated gloves for electrical work, and eye or face protection for drilling and grinding.
• Wear a full-body harness and tie off wherever there is a fall hazard.
• Check PPE before each use, and replace anything that is damaged, worn, or out of date.
• Make sure PPE fits properly, and train workers to wear, inspect, and store it.
• Remove gloves, loose clothing, and jewelry near rotating machinery, and tie back long hair.
• Wear high-visibility clothing where there is vehicle or crane traffic.

4. Lighting

• Provide adequate lighting for safe entry, exit, and working conditions.
• Place control switches close to each access point to the area.
• Protect all lighting against mechanical damage.
• Make sure all lighting circuits are properly fused and either earthed (grounded) or double insulated. Protection is required any time there is a chance of inadvertent or accidental contact.
• Check lighting before you enter a shaft, pit, or machine room. Do not enter if it is inadequate.
• Use only approved portable lamps, such as a safety hand lamp with a bulb guard and approved, undamaged cords.
• Carry a torch or headlamp as a backup.
• Keep lights on while work is in progress, including during breaks, until the work is complete.
• Report damaged or missing lamps immediately, and do not work in poorly lit areas.

5. Electrical Safety and Ladders

• Do not work on metal ladders where there is a chance of dangerous contact with live electrical conductors.
• Use non-conductive (for example, fiberglass) ladders near live parts.
• Treat every circuit as live until you have proven that it is dead, and test your meter on a known source before and after use.
• Switch off and lock out the power before working on equipment, and keep the key with you.
• Do not rely on a stop switch to isolate a circuit. Stop switches stop the elevator, but they do not isolate every circuit.
• Use insulated tools, and keep your hands, tools, and the work area dry.
• Do not work on live circuits unless it is necessary, your procedure allows it, and you are qualified.
• Account for every jumper you use, tag it, and remove all jumpers before you return the elevator to service.
• Do not bypass or disable a safety device, interlock, or earth connection, except as your procedure allows.
• Use ground fault or residual current protection on portable tools and supplies where required.
• Inspect ladders before each use, set them on firm, level ground, and keep three points of contact.

6. Signs, Barricades, and Site Control

• Install clear warning signs wherever there is a potential hazard in the work area.
• Place “Out of Service” signs at the elevator and at every landing entrance before work begins, and remove them only when the elevator is safe to use.
• Barricade open landing doorways and shaft openings. Use solid, lockable barriers, not just tape or cones, and never leave an opening unattended.
• Keep unauthorized people out of machine rooms, shafts, and pits, and keep these areas locked.
• Keep the area in front of barricades and openings clear of materials.
• Tell building management and occupants before work starts and again when it finishes.
• Provide an alternative route for passengers while the elevator or escalator is out of service.

7. Noise, Dust, and Fumes

• Avoid creating excessive noise or harmful dust and fumes.
• If this is not possible, wear suitable PPE and take precautions to protect other people near the work from these hazards.
• Use quieter or lower-dust methods and tools where possible, such as dust extraction, water suppression, or enclosures.
• Provide ventilation in confined areas, such as shafts, pits, and machine rooms.
• Wear hearing protection where noise is high and a dust mask or respirator where dust or fumes are present.
• Keep chemicals in labeled containers, and read the safety data sheet (SDS) before you use a product.
• Never mix cleaning products, since some combinations release toxic fumes.
• Follow hot-work permit procedures for welding, cutting, and grinding.

8. Controlling Hazardous Energy

• Apply lockout and tagout (LOTO) before you work on any equipment, and verify that it is effective.
• Each worker applies their own lock and tag and keeps the key. Do not remove another person’s lock.
• Release or block stored energy, such as springs, the car, the counterweight, and suspended loads.
• Do not run the elevator with any safety device bypassed.
• Keep other people informed when you isolate equipment, and tell them before you restore power.
• Restore power only when everyone is clear and the work is complete.

9. Working at Height and Preventing Falls

• Use fall protection wherever there is a fall hazard, including open shafts, car tops, platforms, and edges.
• Inspect your harness, lanyard, and anchor points before each use.
• Barricade shaft openings and use covers, toe boards, and guardrails where required.
• Do not work above or below another person unless protection is in place.
• Never climb out of or onto a car or reach across an open shaft to save time.
• Plan a rescue for a worker who falls and is suspended in a harness, because suspension can become dangerous within minutes.

10. Working in the Shaft, on the Car Top, in the Pit, and in the Machine Room

• Verify that the car is present before you open a landing door fully, and open the door only a little at first.
• Use only the approved key to open landing doors. Never force a door or use improvised tools.
• Put the elevator in inspection mode, and test the stop and inspection switches before you rely on them.
• Open the pit stop switch before you enter the pit, and verify that the car cannot move.
• Stay clear of the counterweight, buffers, and moving ropes, and know where the refuge spaces are.
• Never ride on the car top at normal speed, and never move the car with a door open.
• Keep access to the main switch, machine, controller, and brake release clear in the machine room, and keep guards in place on rotating machinery.
• Do not climb on elevator parts to reach a landing door lock if you are trapped. Stay calm and call for help.
• Follow the detailed procedure for each area, as set out in your company posts on car top, pit, machine room, and MRL work.

11. Tools, Equipment, and Material Handling

• Use tools that are in good condition and suited to the task, and inspect them before each use.
• Use insulated tools near electrical equipment, and keep guards in place on power tools.
• Tie off tools or use tool bags, so they cannot fall into the shaft or pit.
• Never throw tools or materials. Hand them over or lower them with a rope.
• Use certified lifting equipment, know the weight of the load, and never stand under a suspended load.
• Use team lifts or lifting aids for heavy parts, and use correct manual handling techniques.
• Stack and store materials safely, and keep them away from openings and edges.
• Keep hands clear of pinch points, and do not use your hands to guide or line up parts.

12. Housekeeping and Fire Safety 

• Keep work areas, walkways, and access routes clean, tidy, and free of obstacles.
• Wipe up oil and grease immediately, and dispose of oily rags in a covered metal container.
• Remove rubbish and packing materials regularly, and do not drop waste into shafts or pits.
• Keep flammable materials out of machine rooms and shafts, and do not smoke or use open flames there.
• Keep a suitable fire extinguisher nearby, and know how to use it.
• Keep exits and escape routes clear.

13. Communication, Lone Working, and Site Coordination

• Keep your colleagues informed of where you are and what you are doing.
• Avoid lone work in shafts, pits, and machine rooms where your procedure requires a second person.
• If you must work alone, arrange check-in times and carry a working phone or radio.
• Take instructions only from authorized people.
• Share site hazards, rules, and emergency plans with contractors and other trades before they start.
• Coordinate work so that different trades do not create hazards for each other.

14. Emergencies and First Aid

• Know the location of the nearest first-aid kit, fire extinguisher, stop switch, main switch, and exit.
• Know how to call for help, and keep emergency contact numbers available.
• If someone is injured, call for help, keep the area clear, and give first aid if you are trained. Do not enter a shaft to rescue someone unless you are trained and the hazards are controlled.
• If someone suffers an electric shock, switch off the power first if it is safe to do so, and do not touch the person until the supply is off.
• If you smell smoke or see fire, stop work, raise the alarm, and evacuate.
• Only trained and authorized personnel should rescue passengers from a stalled elevator.

15. Reporting and Safety Culture 

• Report every injury, incident, and near miss, however small.
• Investigate the root causes, not just the immediate ones, and fix them.
• Share lessons learned with the whole team and with contractors.
• Never blame a person for reporting a problem. Encourage open reporting.
• Involve workers in updating procedures and in toolbox talks.
• Review safety performance regularly.

16. Before Returning the Elevator to Service 

• Remove all jumpers, tools, rags, and materials.
• Replace all guards, covers, and panels.
• Remove locks, tags, blocks, and barricades in the correct order.
• Test the safety circuits, door locks, stop switches, and other safety devices.
• Run the elevator and check stopping, leveling, and door operation.
• Remove “Out of Service” signs, record the work done, and tell building management.

Quick Checklist 

• Am I trained and authorized for this task?
• Have I completed a JHA and a toolbox talk?
• Do I have the right PPE, and is it in good condition?
• Is the lighting adequate?
• Is the equipment isolated, locked out, and tested dead?
• Are barricades and warning signs in place?
• Is fall protection in place, and are my tools tied off?
• Does someone know where I am and what I am doing?
• Do I know the emergency procedure and where the first-aid kit is?
• Is everything cleared, replaced, and tested before I leave?