NASCLA Accredited Commercial General ContractorSpecialties and EquipmentEasy
A commercial general contractor is installing a new passenger elevator in a 10-story office building. Which of the following is the primary document that specifies the minimum safety requirements for the design, construction, installation, operation, inspection, testing, maintenance, alteration, and repair of elevators and escalators in the United States?
- AInternational Building Code (IBC)
- BOccupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards
- CNational Electrical Code (NEC)
- DASME A17.1/CSA B44
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: D. ASME A17.1/CSA B44
ASME A17.1/CSA B44 is the nationally recognized safety standard for elevators and escalators, providing comprehensive requirements for their safe operation and installation.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. The IBC references ASME A17.1 but does not contain the detailed elevator safety requirements itself.
- B. OSHA provides workplace safety regulations, but ASME A17.1 is the specific standard for elevator equipment itself.
- C. The NEC covers electrical installations but not the mechanical and operational safety of conveying systems.
ASME A17.1/CSA B44
The Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, establishing minimum safety requirements for the design, construction, installation, operation, inspection, testing, maintenance, alteration, and repair of elevators, escalators, and related conveying equipment.
- Jointly developed by ASME and CSA.
- Adopted by most jurisdictions in the U.S. and Canada.
- Covers passenger and freight elevators, escalators, moving walks, and dumbwaiters.
Memory trick: Elevators Always Seek Maximum (ASME) Safety.