Directive: Mandatory Maintenance

This directive is issued to all elevating device contractors and asset owners or their agent to clarify mandatory maintenance requirements and intervals for elevators, material lifts, dumbwaiters, LULAs, escalators, moving walks, platform lifts and stair lifts for barrier free access, personnel hoists, manlifts, rotating platforms, and stage lifts. 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.

This directive applies to all licensed elevating device contractors with Class A, RA, MR, H, M, and C licences.

Note: References to ASME A17.1/CSA B44 and CSA B355 codes in this document refer to the current editions adopted as mandatory and modified under the EDSR schedule.

Specific details

Part A. Elevators and Escalators

This section applies to equipment covered under ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Code, including elevators, freight elevators, escalators and moving walks, dumbwaiters, LULAs (limited use-limited access), material lifts, wind turbine tower elevators, and any other equipment installed and maintained to the ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Code.

A.1: Maintenance Requirements:

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

All maintenance, repairs, replacements and testing specified by the adopted edition of the ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators Part 8 Section 8.6 and as modified by the EDSR.
Refer to the attached guide (Appendix) on the testing requirements for each equipment type.

A.1.1. Requirements Regarding Test Failures and Reporting:

Safety and emergency equipment are expected to function reliably without fail; tests of these equipment are expected to pass on the first attempt.

Any failure of a required periodic test (e.g., Category 1 or Category 5 periodic test) on the first attempt is considered an incident, but it does not require immediate reporting (as outlined in the information bulletin IB-ED 2017-01: Elevating Devices incident and hazard reporting).

Contractors and mechanics are expected to exercise due diligence in managing such situations.

Specifically:

• If a test fails initially and only passes after multiple attempts or adjustments, the failure issue must be documented in the logbooks and reported internally to the contractor’s engineering/technical team for assessment and resolution.
• The elevating device contractor must ensure such occurrences are tracked, analyzed, and addressed to prevent recurrence and to confirm ongoing safety and reliability of the equipment.
• Records of all test failures and subsequent corrective actions must be maintained as part of the maintenance documentation and made available for review when requested.

A.1.2. Alternative Testing Methods:

The use of alternative testing methods for Category 5 periodic testing is permitted in BC. Elevator owners and their elevating device contractors are permitted to choose either the alternative testing method or the method prescribed in the ASME A17.1/CSA B44 Code, depending on what best suits their equipment and circumstances. For more information, please refer to the Directive D-ED 2021-01: Approval of alternative testing for category 5 testing.

A.2. Maintenance Intervals:

Maintenance intervals are determined by considerations such as 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.

Testing intervals for all mandatory tests required under Part A.1 are specified in ASME A17.1/CSA B44, as modified by the EDSR.

Periodic tests shall be performed at intervals no greater than as follows:

• Category 1 tests shall be performed annually – within 12 months from the last Category 1 test date;
• Category 3 tests shall be performed every 3 years – within 36 months from the last Category 3 test date; and
• Category 5 tests shall be performed every 5 years – within 60 months from the last Category 5 test date.

A.3: Maintenance Logbooks:

A log pertaining to all maintenance activities specified in 8.6 shall be maintained on site at all times by the elevating device 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.

• For requirements relating to maintenance records (i.e., logbooks) and how they are to be kept and maintained, refer to the Directive D-ED 2020-03: Elevating Devices Maintenance Record Requirements.
  

Part B. Platform Lifts and Stair Lifts for Barrier-Free Access (Lifts for Persons with Physical Disabilities):

B.1: Maintenance Requirements:

Annex B of the CSA B355 code is adopted mandatory under Schedule of the EDSR. This Annex outlines the minimum maintenance requirements for all new and existing platform lifts and stair lifts for barrier-free access.

B.2: Maintenance Intervals:

In no case shall maintenance intervals exceed the lesser of three months and the manufacturer’s specified limit. Testing and examination frequency and time intervals must follow requirements outlined in Annex B of the CSA B355 Code. Refer to the attached Appendix on summary of testing and examination requirements and time intervals.

B.3: Maintenance Logbooks:

As required by EDSR S. 36(2), the licensed elevating device maintenance contractor must keep a maintenance log pertaining to all maintenance activities, detailed records of all tests, and inspections, for at least 5 years.

The logbook must be legible and signed by person(s) completing the task. 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.

Logbooks must be kept at all times

(i) on the inside surface of the controller cover, or

(ii) in another location that is specified on the elevating device and that is readily accessible to a

safety officer

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.

Provincial Safety Manager, Transportation

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