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I already have my new certificate that expires August 1st of next year; why do I need an inspection?
In
Florida, inspections are required annually by Florida
Statute 399. The Certificate of Operation expiration
date (August 1st) is not directly related to the actual
inspection date. Owners with inspections not conducted
annually may be subject to administrative
fines/penalties as provided by law.
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I have already had
an inspection but still do not have my certificate; why?
The two (2) most likely causes are one
or more of the following: 1. Violations remain
outstanding from a previous inspection report. Any
violations noted on an inspection report require a
“call-back” inspection to clear those items after
correction. 2. The prescribed renewal application and/or
fees have not been received by the Jurisdictional
Authority (State/County/City).
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Once I have fully
complied with all requirements; how long will it take
before I receive my new certificate?
All certificates in the State of Florida
expire on the same date (August 1st). During this time
the State is inundated with renewal requests and
verification of compliance. Due to this process, delays
may occur.
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Someone came to my
building today saying he was a state inspector; what do
I do with the report he left me?
Re-actions depend on the type of inspection
conducted. 1. For reports where no violations are
identified action by the owner/others may not be
required. 2. For industry oversight inspections: if
violations are noted, a copy should be forwarded to your
maintenance provider and your elevator inspection
company for assessment and/or correction. 3. For
Accident/Compliant inspections: if violations are noted,
a copy should be forwarded to the service maintenance
provider. We recommend discontinuing operation of
equipment until compliance is verified.
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There is a new
“orange” sticker in my elevator and the residents are
up-set; why do I have the orange sticker and can I take
it down?
The orange sticker is an indication that
the database maintained by the State of Florida
currently shows that you are not in compliance with
Statutory requirements for Certificate of Operation.
Usually this means having satisfactorily (no violations
or corrected violations) completed an annual inspection
and/or remittal of annual fees to the Jurisdictional
Authority (State/County/City) for renewal.
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What are the things
an owner/manager can do to be ready for an up-coming
inspection?
Inform the elevator maintenance firm to
perform required safety tests for the elevator inspector
to witness, and that coordination with the inspection
firm is required.
Keys for access to the elevator machine room and other
spaces are required to be readily available onsite. Some
logs and documentation are required to be onsite and
available for the inspector:
1. Monthly Firefighter’s Operation log (may be provided
by maintenance firm)
2. Written emergency evacuation procedures
3. Log of building personnel trained to assist Emergency
Personnel in event of an elevator emergency.
4. Log of building personnel trained to follow escalator
startup procedures.
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Can I get in
trouble for not correcting the violations within the 90
day period?
When one or more violations are noted,
the elevator inspection report form has a specific time
period for correction of deficiencies. Failure to comply
within the time frame indicated may result in fines
and/or penalties.
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What is a variance?
A variance is the Enforcing Authority
accepting an alternative to the specific requirements of
Code due to a hardship with meeting the actual code
requirements. The hardship can be due to existing
conditions, financial feasibility, or newer
alternatives.
Requests for Variances to code shall meet the
requirements of ASME A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and
Escalators Section 1.2.
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For which
violations can I possibly get a variance from?
Variances for some conditions may be
considered by the enforcing authority, either temporary
or permanent. There must be a documented hardship with
compliance; and alternative means of achieving equal or
greater safety, reliability, etc. must be provided.
Florida has been granting temporary variances for
retroactive requirements of ASME A17.3 (Safety Code for
Existing Elevators and Escalators) for up to three
years.
VAA has been assisting building owners with variance
requests, and would be glad to provide guidance for
specific situations.
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I have a
maintenance contract with an elevator company; won’t
they correct all the violations for me?
Not necessarily, some items will be the
responsibility of the building owner or others. Check
your maintenance contract or contact your maintenance
provider.
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What is an
Evacuation Procedure and how do I obtain one?
This is a written procedure required by
code. We recommend ASME A17.4 (Guide for the Evacuation
of Personnel), which can be obtained from ASME.org or by
calling 1-800-the-asme (843-2763).
