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Elevator shaft environments can hold multiple potential hazards for technicians, making elevator installation worker safety paramount for businesses. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) helps those efforts with regulations requiring, among other things, fall protection and personal protective equipment measures.
One measure employers can take, for example, is to provide elevator installation anchors. These high-strength bolts can help organizations simultaneously comply with regulations while minimizing potential hazards technicians might face. They do this by securing elevator cars (whether they are the actual cars or false cars), safety rails, hoisting, equipment, and more during operations. When properly functioning, they can prevent equipment from swaying, shifting, or collapsing in the shaft, thereby minimizing the risks that installation workers could face.
For that to happen, however, teams need to undertake rigorous anchor testing. To help you promote elevator installation worker safety for your facility, we’ve collected the basics so your teammates can get to work with minimized risk and maximized potential for success.
1. Know Your Regulations
Staying educated on the regulations that govern your installation and safety processes is one the first things you should do before doing any anchor testing. First, regulations may define the testing requirements in your area, as well as the minimum weight an anchor must withstand to be considered safe (that minimum is essential for properly conducting load capacity tests). Knowing the regulations that apply to your organization will also let you know how often to test your anchors, whether annually or on a more frequent basis.
There are a few categories of regulations you can pay attention to, to start. First, local and state building codes help dictate how the elevator installation worker should implement elevator construction in a manner that is safe for them, future occupants, and the building itself. Building codes can include items such as:
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Car designation and rated speed
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Door operations details (type, force, locking mechanisms)
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Car operations (emergency stop switch)
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Shaft elements (top of car, hoistway, anchors)
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Car enclosure specifications
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Machine room safety (access and working clearance)
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Pit requirements (bumpers, platform, etc.)
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Fire safety
You should also be aware of any and all federal, state, local and provincial (ex. OSHA, CCOHS) regulations that may apply to your facility. For instance, OSHA fall protection standards could require your team to provide lifeline fall protection, while regulations such as 1910.146 would apply since confined spaces like elevator shafts are not designed for continuous occupancy.
2. Identify Qualified Inspectors
Qualified inspectors understand that anchors are the lifeline to elevator safety, and one solution for finding the inspectors that meet your needs is hiring a testing agency. These organizations usually have teams with the training, credentials, and equipment necessary to test anchors according to OSHA and other pertinent regulations.
As you evaluate agencies for your project, here are signs that they’ll be able to help you ensure your facility’s elevator installation worker safety:
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Certifications: When vetting testing agencies, see if inspectors have the American Concrete Institute’s general ACI Concrete Field Testing Technician – Grade 1 certification (which includes testing training for some anchor types). That said, more anchor-specific credentials exist, so keep an eye out for teams with the Post-Installed Adhesive Anchor Inspector, Cast-in-Place Anchor Inspector, or Welding Inspector Certification as well, to guarantee you hire a group with the specific expertise you need.
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Range of testing methods: Your elevator installation anchors will need to function in a range of scenarios, requiring inspectors who regularly put anchors through their paces with a gamut of testing methods. The right inspector for your needs will be able to perform destructive tests like pull and cyclic load testing, using state-of-the-art dynonometers to monitor force on equipment and ensure inspected devices can handle required weights. They may also rely—or recommend—the use of equipment like a shear test plate, often used to verify a specific anchor point’s tensile strength. While your anchors may not need all these tests to pass muster, having inspectors who can do it all will save you trouble if a testing requirement catches you by surprise mid-process. (You can also check what your inspectors will need to do ahead of time by confirming local building code requirements and your own team’s cost and time restraints).
3. Don’t Forget Proper PPE
Anchors matter, but you should also outfit your teammates with the personal protective equipment (PPE) they need when operating in potentially hazardous settings like elevator installation sites. In those environments, regulations may call for lifeline fall protection that includes any of the following to help prevent accidents:
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Track harnesses: When attached to a lifeline, these can promote elevator installation worker safety by stopping falls should a worker lose balance or slip while working at height in the shaft. Unlike a full-body harness, they can provide freedom of movement for installation workers who need uninhibited use of their arms. For team members completing welding tasks, you should also consider kevlar harnesses, which can contain high heat-resistant properties and repel welding spatter.
- Self-retracting lifelines: Designed to attach to a track harness’ D-ring, self-retracting lifelines can minimize the fall distance, thereby reducing risk or preventing injury entirely should falls occur. Attaching a proper lanyard can provide workers with added protection by the shock from fall arrests and, like harnesses, there are kevlar options with high heat-resistant properties for extra safety.
The Importance of Anchor Testing Best Practices
There are no foolproof methods for testing any construction, as unforeseen events occur every day that insert people and structure into situations with unpredictable hazards. However, anchor testing is one way to ensure that elevator installation is as safe as possible. Another measure you can take is to find a supplier known for developing OSHA-compliant solutions and providing expert service to reduce hazards for both workers and businesses.
That supplier is Tractel. For decades, we have been a leader in safety systems and protective equipment for teams worldwide, including testing plates, lifeline fall protection, and other technology to promote elevator installation worker safety. To discover how our experts can help you incorporate that unmatched innovation and quality into your next elevator project, contact us today.