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Policy

Elevator Rescue - 701.10

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University of Arkansas at Little Rock
Policy Name: Elevator Rescue
Policy Number: 701.10
Effective Date: February 20, 2008
 

Policy:

This procedure is to ensure safe, effective rescue of trapped personnel from elevator cars throughout UALR.

Scope

This procedure covers all elevators throughout the UALR campus.

Procedure

When an elevator malfunctions and passengers are trapped inside an elevator car, the following procedure will be followed:

  • Only qualified Maintenance personnel, as designated by Facilities Management Management are authorized to carry out this Rescue Procedure.
  • If Public Safety is contacted first via the elevator phone, Public Safety will notify the
    Facilities Management front office or the Facilities Management personnel on duty, depending on the time of day. The Facilities Management or Public Safety will dispatch the corresponding elevator service company to the scene.
  • If the Facilities Management is contacted first, the front office will notify Public Safety, the corresponding elevator company, the Environmental, Health & Safety Supervisor and the Assistant Director for Building Operations.
  • The Facilities Management or Public Safety will obtain an estimated time of arrival (ETA) from the elevator service company. This information will be passed on to responding personnel.
  • Public Safety, a certified elevator technician, and Facilities Management maintenance personnel will be dispatched to the scene. Public Safety/Facilities Management personnel will maintain communication with the passenger(s) during the entrapment and inform the passenger(s) of the procedure that will follow. The officer/Facilities Management personnel at the scene will inform the passenger(s) not to attempt to open the elevator doors or the overhead hatch. The officer/Facilities Management personnel on the scene will assess the situation and determine physical and emotional stress. The officer/Facilities Management personnel will also assure the passenger(s) that they are not in any danger and that help is on the way. If immediate medical attention is required, the officer/Facilities Management personnel will call 911 to activate the City of Little Rock Fire and Rescue Department. After 911 has been activated a Facilities Management personnel trained and certified in First Aid should be immediately called to the scene.

If an elevator car is aligned with the floor and provides a safe exit condition for the passenger(s), Facilities Management personnel will help rescue the trapped passenger(s).
Before any attempt to rescue the trapped passenger(s) occurs, it is mandatory for the Facilities Management personnel to pull and lock out the main disconnect switch to the OFF position for that elevator. This is the first step Facilities Management personnel will perform once they have arrived at the scene. THIS WILL KEEP THE ELEVATOR IN PLACE AND PREVENT ANY MOVEMENT.

A safe exit condition for Facilities Management personnel consists of NO MORE THAN AN EIGHTEEN (18) INCH DIFFERENCE between the floor that they are on and the floor of the elevator car. Facilities Management personnel will determine this difference, to the best of their ability, without placing any passenger(s) in danger. If this distance is greater than EIGHTEEN (18) inches UALR employees are NOT authorized to help rescue trapped passengers. If the distance between the floor and the elevator car cannot be determined, UALR employees are NOT authorized to help rescue trapped passengers. UALR employees are NOT authorized to replace any fuses and/or reset velocity switches for any campus elevator.

When UALR employees are not authorized to help rescue the trapped passenger(s), ONLY a certified service technician from UALR’s elevator service company has the authority to open the elevator doors and help rescue the trapped passenger(s). The certified service technician is the only person authorized to replace fuses, reset velocity switches, and/or reset the main disconnect switch for campus elevators. The responding Public Safety officer will remain at the scene until all passengers are rescued safely.

Facilities Management maintenance personnel will remain at the scene unless another priority/emergency situation arises that would require immediate response. If Facilities Management personnel leave the scene, continual contact should be made available with the responding Public Safety officer. If Facilities Management personnel respond to an entrapment and no one is trapped inside the elevator car, the following steps will be followed:

  1. Determine if the elevator is in working condition. If the elevator car is running safely, leave the elevator car in operation.
  2. If the elevator car is not working properly, 1 of 2 scenarios must be followed:
    1. If the call is during normal working hours, 7:30-4:30, Monday through Friday and a non-holiday, Facilities Management personnel will contact the Assistant Director of Building Operations with appropriate information (building, elevator car number). The Assistant Director will determine the urgency of having the elevator car repaired based on operational needs and/or campus activities.
    2. If the call is during off-hours or a scheduled holiday, Facilities Management personnel on duty/public safety officer will attempt to contact the Assistant Director to determine if the elevator service company should be called. If the Assistant Director is unable to be reached Facilities Management personnel on duty/public safety officer will to the best of their ability make a judgment call to determine the urgency for repair. This judgment call must take into consideration operational needs and/or campus activities for that night, holiday and/or weekend. If repair is needed immediately, the Facilities Management personnel on duty will take the elevator car out of service and will contact the elevator service company. If the repair can wait until normal working hours, the Facilities Management personnel on duty will remove the car from service and signify the need for Facilities Management to contact the elevator service company on his/her nightly report(s). In all cases, if the failed elevator is the only elevator serving the building, the elevator service company must be notified immediately and repairs must be expedited.
    3. During off-hours, weekends and holidays, the elevator service company responding to the call must notify Public Safety (569-3400) to inform the University they are on the scene to investigate and resolve the problem. The public safety office will contact the Facilities Management personnel on duty so he/she can accompany the elevator service technician to the scene. The Facilities Management personnel on duty will contact public safety when the repair is complete and the service technician has left the campus.

NOT ALL ENTRAPMENT SCENARIOS CAN BE COVERED IN THIS PROCEDURE. A COMMON SENSE APPROACH MUST BE APPLIED WHILE ATTEMPTING TO RESCUE ANY TRAPPED PASSENGER(S). IF FOR ANY OTHER REASON A SAFE EXIT CONDITION DOES NOT EXIST, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO OPEN ELEVATOR DOORS. IF THERE IS A LIFE OR DEATH SITUATION SECURE THE AREA, CALL 911 AND MAKE EVERY ATTEMPT TO CREATE AN EXIT CONDITION AS SAFE AS POSSIBLE BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO RESCUE THE TRAPPED PASSENGER(S).

This Program will be reviewed at least annually.


Source: Environmental Health and Safety
Revised:
Approved By: Environmental Health and Safety Committee, Feb. 20, 2008
Custodian: EHS Committee

Updated 11.29.2012