5 Common Elevator Compliance Issues

As a building owner or property manager in Massachusetts, your elevator must be up to compliance standards to keep your passengers safe. Here are five common compliance issues to take into consideration when getting your elevator inspected.

Missed or Incomplete Inspections

Regular elevator inspections will help identify potential hazards such as worn or damaged parts. This will help prevent breakdowns or accidents. When you fail to have regular inspections or miss inspections for your elevator(s), you could face legal and financial consequences and in certain cases, injury.  

Not ADA-compliant

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), a civil rights law enacted in 1990, requires businesses and organizations that are open to the public to make their buildings and services accessible. For commercial buildings with multiple floors, elevators must be ADA-accessible. Common ADA-compliant elevator violations include the following:

• Elevator is not located in an easily accessible place 
• Elevator is not wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs
• Elevator does not have braille near buttons, automatic verbal announcements, or signals

Improper Wiring

Improper wiring in an elevator can include loose wires, damaged insulation, or frayed cables, hanging or unsecured wires in hoistways or machine rooms. This can lead to many malfunctions and safety hazards, like elevator malfunctions and, in some cases, fire hazards.    

Outdated Safety Components

Elevators, especially older ones, can lack modern safety features. Your elevator might use simpler braking systems that fail to engage quickly in the case of an emergency. Older mechanical doors may have trouble detecting objects or people. In some cases, your elevator could have outdated proper ventilation systems that won’t prevent smoke inhalation during a fire. When elevators have outdated safety components, they are more at risk for frequent breakdowns, putting you and your riders at risk.   

Missing or Incorrect Signage

All elevators require correct signage that details to riders the steps to take in the case of an elevator emergency. All elevators require the specific signs:

• Floor designation signs inside and outside the elevator 
• Emergency operation signs for firefighters and emergency personnel 
• Signs that read “In Case of a Fire, Do Not Use Elevator. Use Stairways.”
• A capacity load plate that indicates the maximum load capacity
• Accessibility signs

Failure to add signs to elevators can result in code violations, fines, elevator shutdowns, and potential insurance issues. Make sure to consult your local building code to determine what kind of signage you need and where it needs to be placed. 

At Buckley Elevator, we provide frequent site evaluations where we will inspect your elevator, ensuring that your system is up to compliance standards. In the case of faulty parts or defects, we will provide elevator maintenance and repair services.