FMs Should Brush Up On Local Elevator Inspection Standards
elevators, certification, ASME April 13, 2010
I'm Justin Smith, managing editor of web development for Building Operating Management magazine. Today's tip: ensuring proper elevator certification.
Most people probably consider elevators convenient, but one professor at the University of Rhode Island recently experienced anything but. Associate Professor of Sociology Barbara Costello entered an elevator in a campus building on Thursday, March 11, but instead of carrying her to her destination, the elevator began to bounce up and down in place, according to the school's student newspaper. The doors of the elevator opened about two minutes later, but the situation is hardly uncommon on the campus. In a February 2009 article from the student paper, it was reported that 36 out of 64 elevators did not fully meet fire and safety codes, 18 required modifications, 12 were ineligible for new inspection certificates and six were completely non-compliant with state codes. University officials say the affected elevators have now either been fixed, or are scheduled for inspection. Facility managers around the country can take a cue from this situation and refresh themselves on the codes and standards that govern elevators in their facility, since the guidelines for frequency of inspection can be international, national, state, regional or city-based. Doing a little leg work now can prevent a sticky situation later.
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