Section 296-96-07170. What are the requirements of safeties and governors?

(1) All inclined private residence elevators must be equipped with a safety capable of stopping and sustaining a car carrying its rated load.

(a) Elevator safeties must be type "A" or "B" or other devices approved by the department and must be operated by a speed governor.

(b) Elevator safeties must operate independently of governor speed action and without delay when a hoist rope breaks.

(2) Governors shall operate to set the safety at a maximum of 140 percent of rated speed. Upon slackening of the hoist ropes the safety shall set without appreciable delay and independently of the speed governor. The governor shall be located where:

(a) If over-travel occurs, the governor will not be struck by the car or counterweight;

(b) All parts can freely and fully move;

(c) The governor is accessible for a complete examination;

(d) Governors are required to be of the mechanical type; and

(e) Belt driven governors must be monitored. In the case of belt breakage or disengagement, the car must be shut down.

(3) If ropes are used, the ropes must be made of iron, steel, Monel metal or phosphor bronze and be at least 1/4 inch in diameter. Tiller rope construction must not be used.

(4) Motor-control circuits and brake-control circuits must be opened either before the safety applies or at the time the safety applies.

(5) All safeties must apply mechanically. Electrically operated safeties must not be used.

(6) All winding drum type inclined elevators that use rope suspensions must be equipped with a manually reset slack-rope device. During a car's descent, if the travel of the car is obstructed and the hoisting ropes go slack, the slack-rope device must stop power to the elevator motor and brake.

(7) Cast iron must not be used to build any elevator safety part that stops and sustains the elevator.

[Statutory Authority: RCW 70.87.020, 70.87.030, 70.87.034, 70.87.120, 70.87.185, 70.87.190, 2002 c 98, 2003 c 143 and 2004 c 66. WSR 04-12-047, § 296-96-07170, filed 5/28/04, effective 6/30/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.87.020, 70.87.030, 70.87.034, 70.87.120, 70.87.185 and chapter 70.87 RCW. WSR 01-02-026, § 296-96-07170, filed 12/22/00, effective 1/22/01.]

RCW 70.87.020, 70.87.030, 70.87.034, 70.87.120, 70.87.185, 70.87.190, 2002 c 98, 2003 c 143 and 2004 c 66. WSR 04-12-047, § 296-96-07170, filed 5/28/04, effective 6/30/04. Statutory Authority: RCW 70.87.020, 70.87.030, 70.87.034, 70.87.120, 70.87.185 and chapter 70.87 RCW. WSR 01-02-026, § 296-96-07170, filed 12/22/00, effective 1/22/01.