Elevating Devices

We perform remote and physical inspections on elevating device installations, existing elevating devices, and major alterations to elevating devices. If you have a new installation or if you’ve made a major alteration to an existing elevating device, you are required to request an assessment before putting it into service. Elevating device contractors can request an assessment.

Requesting an Assessment

To request an assessment, please have your contractor complete our Request for Acceptance Inspection form and submit it to your local safety officer along with any relevant documents. The safety officer will review the information and confirm the date of the assessment (inspection). See the assessment booking procedures for details on any required submissions before your assessment, cancellation/overtime requests, and more.

Please provide the following prior to start of inspection:

  1. General Contractor's Escalator & Moving Walk Pre-Inspection Checklist Form 1108, or General Contractor’s Passenger and Freight Elevator Pre-inspection Checklist Form 1222;
  2. Examination & Testing of Elevating Device Declaration Form 1717.

Failure to submit the forms or submitting incomplete forms may result in the inspection being failed.

For all minor alterations, an Examination & Testing of Elevating Device Declaration FRM-1717 must be submitted to the safety officer within 30 days of completion of the work. A request for inspection must also be made and confirmed with the safety officer within 60 days of returning the device to service.

Remote Assessments

To have your assessment performed remotely, submit the completed Request for Variance - Deferred Inspection Form to our elevating team. You will not be charged a variance fee.

Once the variance is accepted, you will be assigned a safety officer to review your assessment, and from there you can start the following remote assessment process.

  1. Complete the applicable checklist(s):
    1. Hydraulic elevators data sheet checklist
    2. Electric elevators data sheet checklist
    1. Working pressure
    2. Relief pressure
    3. Seal on relief valve
    4. Car bottom runby measurement
    5. Counterweight runby measurement
    6. Seal on overspeed valve, as applicable
    7. Elevator cab level at a landing with 125% of full load
    8. Measurement of unintended movement
    9. Video of governor tripping speed utilizing a tachometer, where practical
    10. Seal on governor
    11. Car safety slide measurement
    12. Measurement of top of car runby and refuge space
    On the Day of Your Inspection
    1. Provide a completed data sheet checklist to the safety officer at the start of the inspection. Choose the checklist applicable to you. This checklist must be completed prior to the inspection. Incomplete checklists may constitute a failed inspection. Data sheets include:
      1. Hydraulic Elevator Data Sheet Checklist Form 1213
      2. Electric Elevator Data Sheet Checklist Form 1214
      3. Escalator Data Sheet Checklist Form 1216
      4. Lifts for Persons with Physical Disabilities Data Sheet FRM 1721
      5. Construction Hoist Data Sheet Form 1720
      Fees for Remote Assessments

      Remote assessment requests will continue to be processed as per the current procedure, and upon completion and receipt of the certificate of inspection, clients will be invoiced according to the Elevating Fee Schedule. For more information about remote assessments, contact our elevating team.

      Variances

      To apply for an exemption or variance from the safety code requirements, please submit the completed Elevating Devices Variance form through your Online Services account. Variances may take up to three weeks for review, depending on the complexity.

      Non-Compliances

      Non-compliances are code violations that must be corrected within the timeline indicated on the Certificate of Inspection (COI). In some cases, an extension may be issued by the safety officer. Learn more about the process to resolve non-compliances and the impacts of failing to correct non-compliances in this directive.

      Failure to resolve the non-compliance will result in a new inspection fee or other enforcement actions. We may also decide to take the elevating device out of service.

      Important: If you’re making a declaration required by regulation or the Safety Standards Act, you must physically inspect the work before making the declaration and certifying its compliance.

      Inspection fees

      Inspection fees vary based on the day of the week and the duration of the inspection.

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      Frequently Asked Questions

      We’re concerned about the lack of personnel and meeting our safety responsibilities. How can Technical Safety BC support us?

      If you own, operate, or maintain elevating devices, you are obligated to continue to meet all regulatory requirements for public safety. This includes capacity for enough personnel to maintain compliance to the Act, Regulation, code, and equipment manufacturers’ operations and maintenance requirements. If you are unable to meet the regulatory requirements or if product availability becomes an issue, you may request a variation to a code, standard, regulation, and act by completing the variance form. If you have any questions or concerns, please email our elevating team.

      We are also sharing some online tools that can be used to help develop and refine your business continuity plan:

      If you have already established business continuity protocols or identified different levels of service to provide, we invite you to share your plan with us. In the interest of industry and safety, we welcome the opportunity to provide feedback, please reach out to us.

      I’m performing periodic maintenance but the building is closed, what should I do?

      Some buildings now have a “no visitor policy” or are temporarily closed to comply with COVID-19 prevention protocol mandated by provincial health authorities. It’s understandable that elevator personnel won’t be able to perform periodic maintenance and may only respond to emergencies and entrapments. We recommend that elevating contractors evaluate these sites, then contact the building owners to determine how maintenance can be done safely, reducing risk to both maintenance personnel and those living in the building.

      I need to complete mandatory maintenance, but building access, lack of personnel, or other factors related to COVID-19 are affecting the ability to do so. What should I do?

      Maintenance of elevators is critical to ensure their reliability and the safety of those who use them. We understand that there may be challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic which will lead to disruption in maintenance work. We encourage you to continue prioritizing important maintenance work while keeping safety and protecting the health of your maintenance personnel in mind. Please reach out to us to if you are unable to perform mandatory maintenance work.