ESW - 25 : Safety Practices for Working Elevator (Lift)

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Safety Practices for Working Elevator (Lift)

General Safety Practices for Working on Elevator (Lifts)

1. In carrying out the lift work, the specific safety practices and recommendations made by the lift manufacturers should be strictly adhered to. There should be no passenger inside the lift car and the lift car should always be kept in the closed position, except when workers are working inside.
2. Adequate lighting for the works should be provided. It should be ensured by the workers together with the safe refuge area provided prior to entering any pit or car top. For emergency purpose, portable torches or emergency lights (battery-operated) should be provided to workers working inside the lift well.
3. The lift should be made inoperative and locked out before any inspection, cleaning, oiling or lubrication of wire ropes and moving parts. Lift car should be blocked to prevent any downward movement prior to removing any hanging cables or repairing any support system of an electric/ hydraulic lift.
4. When more than one lift is installed within a common lift shaft, a partition of appropriate height should where practicable be provided between adjacent lifts to prevent trapping hazards. The requirement of the partition as specified in the National Construction of Buildings and Building Works for the Installation and Safe Use of Elevator/Lifts and Escalators issued by National Buildings Department should be followed.
5. If it is necessary to gain access into the lift well, a safe means of access and egress should be clearly provided before entering and the means should be readily accessible from the workplaces.
6. The number of persons working within a lift shaft at the same time should be kept to a minimum. The simultaneous employment of different tradesmen working independently of each other should be avoided if possible.
7. Any items of equipment for dismantling should be lowered under control and should not be dropped down under all circumstances.
8. Protection guard should be reinstated as soon as the maintenance work for the dangerous part of any machinery is finished.
9. A lift should not be returned to normal operation when the work is finished unless it has been ascertained that there is no person, tools, access equipment, etc. in the lift well. All equipment and facilities for maintenance, service or installation work, e.g. propping device, should be returned to their proper positions.
10. For the safety sake of the workers carrying out work for installation, the installation manuals and the up-dated shop drawings, such as the plant layout, equipment arrangement, wiring diagrams, etc. shall be properly kept and be referred to at the workplace.
11. Regarding the operation and maintenance of a elevator(lift)/ escalator installation, the operation and maintenance manuals, operation/maintenance log books, working procedures, checklists, etc. are essential elements of the hardware of a safe system of work. Together with the as-built diagrams, including the electrical wiring diagrams, hydraulic circuit diagrams, process flow charts, etc., they should be properly kept at the work site and be referred to by all workers for safety sake.

Safety Practices for Working on Car Top

1. A car top stopping device should be positioned within 1 m of the landing threshold and capable of being operated from the landing. The normal lift control circuit should be positively isolated before any worker attempts to gain access to the car top from the landing.
2. Where headroom above the elevator(lift) car is less than the current standard requirement or may only accommodate one person, a warning sign should be displayed in a prominent position close to the car top control station.
3. Guard rails of 900 mm to 1150 mm in height should be provided on the car top where the worker may fall via the gap between the elevator(lift) and the well enclosure. Such guard rails should be sufficiently strong and secure.
4. Appropriate safety sign and notice should be displayed in a prominent position on the car top if the lift installation is without any car safety gear or a hydraulic rupture valve to alert the workers.
5. Positive means should be provided to interrupt the normal control circuit for preventing car movement when the car landing doors are kept in an opening position for the purpose of the lift work.
6. The car top control should be inspected and checked for its effectiveness before any work on the car top commences.
7. The number of persons allowed on the car top at any one time should be kept to the minimum. They should stand clear away from any moving rope, sheaves or other moving objects. Special care should be taken where the car tops are curved or domed.
8. One and only one person should be appointed to take the sole control of the car movement when workers work on the car top. All persons travelling on the car top should fully understand the procedures adopted for activating the car movement. Regarding the safety of the elevator(lift) car, the requirements of relevant legislation and Codes of Practice of country should be followed.
9. The car top should be clean, free from oil and grease and structurally sound. Standing on the emergency exit cover of the elevator(lift) car is prohibited. The car top should be cleared up and cleaned before leaving it after the work.
10. The working personnel should be able to hold firmly on the crosshead or other rigid parts of the car structure when the car is moving. Holding any wire rope by a worker may result in serious injury and therefore is prohibited.
11. If there is an adjacent elevator(lift) in the same elevator(lift) well, the worker should avoid contacting with any counterweights and keep within the limits of his elevator(lift) especially when the car is moving.
12. As a general rule, the car top should be accessed from the top terminal landing.

Safety Practices for Working below a Elevator(lift) Car

1. Before entering a elevator(lift) pit, the stopping devices of the elevator(lift) should be tested for their effectiveness.
2. If there is no direct access door to the elevator(lift) pit, suitable safe means with hand holds of access to the pit should be provided from the lowest landing entrance.
3. When working below a car with restrictive space which can accommodate only one person, appropriate restraint device for the elevator(lift) car should be properly installed prior to gaining access into the pit.
4. Counterweight screen of an appropriate height above the pit floor should be provided to avoid hazards created by descending counterweight. The requirements for the height of the screen as stipulated in the Design and Construction of elevator(lift) and Escalators should be followed.
5. Worker should activate the pit-stop switch to prevent any movement of the car before entering the elevator(lift) pit.
6. No worker should enter or work in a elevator(lift) pit with standing water.
7. The shoes of workers should be free from any oil or grease to prevent slipping. Potential tripping hazards such as oil lines or sump holes should be watched out. In this respect, warning signs/notices should be displayed at prominent position of the lift pit.

Safety Practices for Working at elevator(lift) Landings

1. When workers are engaged in maintaining and examining lifts, the landing door may from time to time be requiredto remain open even at where the car is not there, e.g. to gain access into the lift pit or to the car top. Appropriate dedicated devices instead of normal hand tools should be utilized to keep the lift doors in an open position. To protect the workers at work, a fencing/barrier between 900 mm and 1150 mm in height with preferably a mid-rail and toe-board of not less than 200 mm in height should be erected in front of the entrance at the lift landing.
2. The fencing/barrier should bear the relevant safety signs and warning notices in both Local and English language  to warn against the danger of removal of fencing/barrier.
3. To facilitate the worker to work on the correct equipment safely, multiple elevator (lift) installations should be individually identified on the lowest and highest landing entrances as well as the associated equipment in machine rooms and pulley rooms.
4. When the car is not at its normal position at a landing, unlocking or opening of a landing door should only be done if it is absolutely necessary for carrying out work by the working personnel. Special unlocking device should be used to unlock or open a landing door and be kept in a safe place. A check should be made to ensure that the door is closed and relocked each time after use.
5. Without the provision of fencings/barriers and warning signs, a landing door/gate should always be kept close except during the short period of entering/leaving the lift well at the landing by the workers or the transportation of materials for work via the landing.

Safety Practices for Working in Elevator(lift) Machine and Pulley Rooms

1. Safe means of access to the machine room and the pulley room should be provided and permanent warning signs should be displayed on the outside of the machine and pulley room doors. Additional permanent warning signs should be displayed inside the room adjacent to the trap door when the access is via a trap door into the machine room and the pulley room.
2. Adequate electrical lighting should be provided inside these rooms’ floor level and at equipment. All the permanent lighting should be controlled by switches on entry inside the rooms at appropriate height. The requirements on the lighting standard as stipulated in the National Design and Construction of elevator(lift) and Escalators should be followed.
3. All dangerous parts of the machine and the whole elevator(lift) installation should be effectively guarded to prevent injury to the workers carrying out the elevator(lift) installation, repair or maintenance work. The dangerous part which by reason of its position, its construction or the nature of the work being performed does not give rise to any reasonably foreseeable hazard to the safety of any working personnel need not be guarded.
4. Properly designed, installed and maintained lifting facilities should be provided for handling heavy equipment. The facilities should be tested and examined in accordance with the National standards. The safe working loads of the lifting appliances and lifting gears should be legibly marked in accordance with National Rues & Regulations. Under no circumstances are these lifting facilities operated in excess of their safe working loads.
5. Electric shock treatment notices as required under national Rules & Regulation should be prominently displayed in the machine room.
6. Insulation rubber mat complying with national standards should be placed on the floor in front of the controller and other electrical switchboards and also preferably at the rear for better protection against electric shock.
7. The dimensions of any holes in the slab and the floor should be reduced to a minimum as far as practicable. Ferrules which project at least 50 mm above the floor should be provided to prevent objects from falling through holes situated above the well.
8. The floor of the machine room should be made up of nonslip materials to prevent any tripping hazards. Preferablyit should be of same level. If the floor comprises more than one level and each is differing from another by more than 0.5 m, stairways or steps and guard-rails should be provided along the levels.
9. If access to the main switch for the elevator(lift) is inconvenient from the lift machine or controller, a suitable stopping device should be fitted near the lift machine. The requirements for the stopping device as stipulated in the National Design and Construction of elevator(lift) and Escalators should be followed. A means of interrupting the main supply should also be provided on or adjacent to the controller. In multiple installations within the same machine room, the stopping devices should also be located adjacent to their relevant pulleys.
10. Before commencing work, a thorough check should be made to verify between a specific machine and its corresponding well and associated equipment. No work should be carried out on machinery while it is in motion or which is capable of intermittent motion.
11. Updated electrical wiring diagrams, hydraulic circuit diagrams, schematic diagrams, etc. of the lift installation should be made available to the working personnel for reference before work commences.
12. No work should be carried out on or close to any live electrical equipment that electric shock  danger might foreseeably arise. If this is unavoidable, adequate precautions such as the wearing of suitable insulated gloves and boots, the provision of insulating mats, temporary shrouding and the use of insulated tools, etc. should be taken to avoid electric shock or burn injuries. Also, the work should only be conducted by workers with adequate qualification and experience on electric work, and with adequate guidance/warnings and supervision given to the workers. Working alone in this situation is not recommended.

Safety Practices for Working on Observation or Partially-enclosed Elevator(lift)

When working on observation or partially-enclosed lifts, in addition to the safety requirements stipulated in previous sections, the following should be included:

1. Temporary fencings/barriers on landings should be provided so as to prevent the fall of persons and objects (e.g. tools or equipment) from the landing into the elevator(lift) well.
2. The car top treatment should follow the recommendations in national Rules and Acts, such that the hinged covers provide a barrier and some weather protection.
3. Means should be provided to prevent the falling of objects from the car top.
4. Working personnel should take travelling on the car top of any lift as a last resort.
5. Work should not be carried out in severe weather conditions such as heavy rain and strong wind etc.
6. Suitable working clothing should be worn to protect against wind and coldness during work.
7. Only working personnel authorized by the contractor should be permitted to clean the glazed exterior of the car or the interior of a glazed lift well enclosure.

Safety Practices for Working on Dumbwaiters

1. Nobody should stand and work on the car top of a dumbwaiter unless the following safety features/ precautions are provided:
• The dumbwaiter should be equipped with safety gear. 
• The rated load of the dumbwaiter should exceed the weight of the working personnel plus the weight of his tools.
2. The dumbwaiter should not be used for carrying persons.
3. When working from the car top, extreme care should be exercised to ensure that the body of the working personnel is within the confines of the car and clear of all elevator(lift) well protrusions while running.
4. All devices operating the car should be rendered inactive (such as push buttons, automatic leveling and homing circuits, etc.) except those under the immediate control of the working personnel.
5. The turnbuckles on car and counterweight ropes should be checked to ensure that they are double-nutted and pinned securely.
6. A elevator(lift) well door should never be left open or unlocked at a landing when the car is not there or under such conditions that the car can leave.
7. Adequate headroom and under-car-clearance should be checked before getting on top of the car or in the pit.
8. None should enter the pit unless the main switch to the dumbwaiter has been turned off, tagged and locked out.
9. For dumbwaiters with automatic transfer devices, all such devices should be isolated before working on the dumbwaiters.
10. When working through an open elevator(lift) well door or through the machine room door and the car is to move, care should be exercised to avoid contact with the car gate spreader.