Do You Know Your Elevator

1
Do You Know Your Elevator ?

• UM Elevator Shop
• Dave Flint
• Terri Emmons

2
Common Types of Elevators

• Geared Traction
• Used in buildings with 45 feet or more of travel
• Better floor to floor performance times

• Direct Plunger Hydraulic
• Used in buildings with less than 45 feet of
  travel
• Never use in Parking Decks or areas it is
  difficult to control the temperature, it will
  limit reliability
• Not environmentally friendly
• Dig down in the ground as deep as the building is
  high and insert an oil filled piston

3
Requirements

• Inspections
• State of Michigan requires that every elevator
  have an inspection once every 90 days by a
  licensed elevator journey person
• Additionally, the State of Michigan inspects all
  equipment on a code required schedule
• Provides Certificate of Operation
• Writes up any deficiencies found
• Can shut down equipment if an unsafe condition is
  found or if any previous deficiency is not
  repaired
• Accidents
• Must be reported within 48 hours to the State of
  Michigan with proper investigation and
  documentation
• This process can leave the equipment down until
  approval from the State is given to put the
  elevator back in service
• Licensing
• State requires that any person entering the
  machine room, hoistway or pit making any
  inspections, repairs or replacements be licensed
  elevator journeypeople
• Extensive apprenticeship, schooling and testing
  involved in becoming a journeyperson
• Ensures the safety of the riding public and the
  elevator journeypeople working on the equipment
• Ensures safety codes are adhered to

4
Elevator Shop

• 458 units on campus
• Adding 25 more by 2006
• Shop has 10 licensed mechanics on staff, 2
  apprentices and 1 helper
• One of the largest Elevator Shops in the College
  and University Community
• Response time to an entrapment is normally 15
  minutes or less during regular business hours
• Have personnel on Campus 6am until 11pm
• Have personnel On-Call from 11pm until 6am
• On-Call personnel are required to be on-site
  within 1 hour
• DPS frequently responds to elevator entrapments
  with an officer on-site

5
Why Does the Elevator Shut Down ?

• Electrical-Mechanical systems
• Hundreds of sequential steps must occur for the
  elevator to operate
• If just one of the steps is skipped, missed, or
  does not complete the operating process will not
  proceed
• i.e. Safety String doors, load weighing, limit
  switches, speed
• When the elevator shuts down it is doing its job
  and operating the way it was designed

6
How Safe Are You ?

• State of Michigan Elevator Safety Division
• Maintains journey person licensing and testing
• 90 of accidents reported quarterly involve
  escalators
• 90 day fire service, 1year, 3 year, 5 year State
  required safety tests
• Elevator built with higher safety factor than the
  floor you are standing on or the ceiling over
  your head
• Any one of the cables on a traction elevator is
  rated to hold the weight of the fully loaded
  elevator plus 25
• Most traction elevators have 4 or more cables on
  them
• Over-Speed Safety and rope grippers on traction
  elevators
• Reported Campus Accidents
• Since October 2001 there have been 12 reported
  accidents involving the riding public
• Elevator Shop
• conducts monthly safety meetings with shop staff
• Conducts annual code update courses
• Brings equipment suppliers in regularly through
  the year for in-house training of staff

7
What Would You Do ?1

• Your elevator is not working. There are no
  passengers inside.
• Do Call the Plant Operations Call Center at
  647-2059
• Have the following information when calling
• Building name, elevator number (found in upper
  left hand corner of entrance frame), short
  description of problem and a contact name and
  number
• Do Post signage stating that the equipment is
  out of service
• Do not enter the machine room
• Do not enter the hoistway

8
What Would You Do ?2

• Your elevator is not working. There are
  passengers inside.
• Do Call the Plant Operations Call Center at
  647-2059
• Have the following information when calling
• Building name, elevator number (found in upper
  left hand corner of entrance frame), short
  description of problem and a contact name and
  number
• Do not Attempt to rescue the passengers
  yourself
• Do Continue to comfort and communicate with the
  passengers inside
• Encourage them to sit down. For them to STAY IN
  THE ELEVATOR, and to stay away from the doors
  incase they are opened by rescue personnel
• Do not enter the machine room
• Do not enter the hoistway

9
What Would You Do ?3

• Your elevator is not working. You are inside.
• Do Use the emergency phone in the elevator, if
  it is equipped
• The phone connects to DPS 24/7
• Do Use the alarm bell if the elevator is not
  equipped with an emergency phone
• Do Have others Call DPS at 763-1131
• Have the following information when calling
• Building name, elevator number (found in upper
  left hand corner of entrance frame), short
  description of problem and a contact name and
  number
• Do not Attempt to have untrained staff rescue
  you
• Do not ask anyone to enter the machine room
• Do not ask anyone to enter the hoistway
• Do Remain calm, continue to communicate with
  those outside
• Sit down, STAY IN THE ELEVATOR, and stay away
  from the doors incase they are opened by rescue
  personnel

10
Other Issues Maintenance

• The Elevator Shop has a newly developed
  scheduling technique
• All mechanics have a PDA
• PM work requests are assigned weekly
• Rotating schedule ensuring every elevator is
  visited, at least monthly for specific
  preventative maintenance tasks
• Tasks (and problems) are tracked better
• As preventative maintenance is tracked better and
  specific tasks are completed systematically we
  expect to see call backs decline steadily

11
Other Issues Vandalism

• We operate in a high traffic, highly populated
  community
• Vandalism is an issue that will cause downtime,
  inconvenience, further frustrations and decrease
  the public opinion of the building and its
  function-ability
• Educate faculty, staff, residents and students
• Encourage the reporting of vandalism or any other
  damage
• The I dont want to get involved syndrome
• Everyone suffers when the equipment does not
  function
• If a delivery person or building employee damages
  equipment, they should call POCC and report it

12
Education Of The CommunitySafe Practices

• Consider a Safe Practices session within the
  first weeks of residents living in the dorms
• Can be presented by individual RAs
• Consider a Safe Practices session for new
  employees working in your buildings
• Can be presented by an individual supervisor

13
Education Of The CommunitySafe Practices ,
cont.

• Safe Practices would include
• What Would You Do Scenarios
• Report Vandalism
• Safe Loading Techniques
• The capacity of a passenger elevator, as required
  by code, can not be loaded into the elevator in
  one piece. It may only be loaded in 25
  increments.
• Report Accidents
• Common Myths and FAQs
• Elevator does not come faster if both direction
  buttons are pressed
• You will not run out of air if you are trapped in
  an elevator
• Etc
• Can also be a pre-recorded video

14
Questions To Ask Yourself When Renovations Are
Due

• Is the elevator in your building serving your
  needs ?
• Would the addition of a freight elevator aid the
  operation of your building ? Perhaps a dumbwaiter
  could relieve some of the demand as well.
• Are there enough elevators in your building ?
• How old is the elevator in your building ?
• Is the speed of the elevator an issue ?
• Is it a traction elevator or a hydraulic elevator
  ?
• Call the Elevator Shop and we can discuss the
  needs of your building and how best to achieve
  the results you desire in a renovation. We work
  best as a team to make sure your building is well
  served.

15
For more information or to arrange a presentation
on Elevator Safety for your unit, please
contact David L. Flint, Foreman 647-3276 dlf
lint_at_umich.edu Terri Emmons 647-5720 temmons
_at_umich.edu