Directive: Mandatory maintenance

This directive is issued to all elevating contractors and asset owners or their agent to clarify mandatory maintenance requirements and intervals for elevators, material lifts, dumbwaiters, LULAs, escalators, and moving walks. This mandatory maintenance requirement has been a regulatory requirement since 1995. All maintenance contracts between an asset owner and licensed elevator contractor required under section 21(2) of the Elevating Devices Safety Regulation (“EDSR”) must comply with this directive.

Specific details

Part 1: Maintenance Requirements:

Pursuant to the EDSR, Mandatory maintenance must, at a minimum, include:

1. All maintenance, repairs, replacements and testing specified by CSA B44-16 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators Part 8 Section 8.6 and as modified by the Elevating Devices Safety Regulation.

Part 2: Maintenance Intervals:

Maintenance intervals are determined by age, quality, usage, and the original manufacturer’s recommendations or a professional engineer’s recommendation. In no case shall maintenance intervals exceed the lesser of three months and the manufacturer’s specified limit.

Maintenance intervals for all mandatory tests required under Part 1 are specified in CSA B44-16, as modified by the EDSR.

Periodic tests shall be performed as follows:

• Category 1 tests shall be performed annually;
• Category 3 tests shall be performed every 3 years;
• Category 5 tests shall be performed every 5 years. 

Part 3: Maintenance Logbooks:

A log pertaining to all maintenance activities specified in 8.6 shall be maintained on site at all times by the maintenance contractor in both hard copy and electronic format and must be readily accessible to authorized personnel. The logbook must be legible and signed by person(s) completing the task. The log must contain, as a minimum, but not be limited to, detailed records of all tests, inspections, and other maintenance duties referred to in this section that have been performed. The maintenance frequency of each component must also be clearly indicated. Logbooks must be made available to the asset owner and Technical Safety BC immediately upon request.

Applicable/References legislation:

EDSR

"Mandatory maintenance" means the maintenance of an elevating device that is provided by a licensed contractor under contract to an owner and includes periodic examination and maintenance services, such as cleaning and lubrication, all safety-related tests required by the ministry, and immediate treatment of any safety-related deficiency including the adjustment, repair, or replacement of any defective equipment or components as required by the adopted codes or manufacturer's specifications.  This does not include an alteration as specified by a provincial safety manager or an alteration as defined by the adopted code.

Owner's operational and maintenance duties

21 (1) An owner must ensure that all new and existing elevating devices are operated in accordance with this regulation and the manufacturer's specifications.

(2) An owner must engage a licensed elevating device contractor to maintain a program of mandatory maintenance for the elevating device to ensure its safe working condition.

(3) Subsection (2) does not apply if the owner is also a licensed elevating device contractor and performs its own mandatory maintenance.

(4) The frequency of mandatory maintenance for an elevating device is at least quarterly, unless otherwise provided under an applicable code.

(5) When any unsafe or potentially unsafe condition exists, an owner must close an elevating device from the carriage of passengers until a provincial safety officer permits the elevating device to operate.

 

Nav Chahal
Provincial Safety Manager, Transportation

References:
Safety Standards Act
Elevating Devices Safety Regulation
ASME A17.1/CSA B44
Safety Standards General Regulation