From left: Danielle Rau, Secretary/Admin (360-902-6129), Cindy Morgan, Office Assistant (360-902-6131) and Rebecca Llewellyn, Office Assistant (360-902-5898).

Legislation update:
In this month's issue of The Rising Times we will continue to highlight the new elevator law that was signed by Gov. Locke on May 7.

Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5942 gives L&I the necessary flexibility and authority to develop rules and licensing requirements to ensure a greater level of worker and public safety by providing more assurance that individuals working on elevators and other conveyances are qualified to do so.

Additionally, the bill increased the membership of the Elevator Safety Advisory Committee from five to seven, and specified which industry groups need to be represented by the committee.

The following people have been appointed to the Elevator Safety Advisory Committee. Please feel free to contact them if you have any specific concerns or cannot attend their meetings.

• Michael Belka, UNICO Properties. (representative of building owners or managers), 206-628-5050.
• Bill Watson, City of Seattle/Chief Elevator Inspector (ad hoc member representing a municipality), 206-684-8453
• Steven Mikkelsen, Lerch, Bates & Associates Inc. (representative of registered architects or professional engineers), 425-774-3088
• Warren R. Lance, Boeing (representative of owner-employed mechanics exempt from licensing), 425-342-7346
• Charles Val, International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 19 (representative of mechanics licensed to perform all work), 206-282-4885
• Mike Mutal, Otis Elevator Co. (representative of licensed elevator contractors), 206-248-6406
• Paul Parish, Paul Parish Ltd. (representative of registered general commercial contractor), 509-582-9303
• Dotty Stanlaske, L&I (Chief Elevator Inspector, serving as secretary for the advisory committee), 360-902-6128

Welcome to everyone who is serving on the board. We would also like to thank all of the people who submitted applications but were not appointed for this term. We value your experience and dedication to the industry, and look forward to your continued support and interaction at future committee meetings.

The Elevator Safety Advisory Committee meets on the third Tuesday of February, May, August and November. All meetings are held in L&I's Tukwila office from 9 a.m. to noon. (Just a reminder: The next advisory committee meeting is on Tuesday, Aug. 19.) If you need directions, please call Danielle Rau at 360-902-6129.

As noted in last month's issue, ESSB 5942 has tasked the Elevator Safety Advisory Committee with performing a study on licensing pertaining to residential units and presenting their findings and recommendations to the Legislature by Jan. 1. A subcommittee has been formed, and the members plan to discuss their work at next month's advisory committee meeting.

For a complete copy of ESSB 5942, please visit our web site at www.LNI.wa.gov/scs/elevators and click on rules, policy and laws.

July 16: Subcommittee on residential units, 9 a.m. to noon, Tukwila L&I office

July 22-24: Elevator inspectors meeting/training
(not a public meeting), Tukwila L&I office

Aug. 19: Advisory Committee meeting (subcommittee on residential units to also meet at this time), 9 to 11 a.m., Tukwila L&I office

Aug. 19: Industry meeting (industry participants only; not a public meeting), 11 a.m. to noon, Tukwila L&I office

Aug. 26-28: Elevator inspectors meeting/training
(not a public meeting), Tukwila L&I office

Sept. 3: Subcommittee on residential units, 9 a.m. to noon, Tukwila L&I office

Sept. 16-18: Elevator inspectors meeting/training
(not a public meeting), L&I Tukwila office

Oct. 7: Subcommittee on residential units, 9 a.m. to noon, Tukwila L&I office.

Each month we will feature a question that was posed to our Technical Specialist, Becky Ernstes. This month's question:

Q: When, how and why should a shunt trip device be installed?

A: The American Society of Mechanical Engineers code states: "A means shall be provided to automatically disconnect the mainline power supply to the affected elevator upon, or prior to, the application of water from sprinklers located in the machine room or in the hoistway." [ASME A17.1 1996 Rule 102.2(c) (3)] Typically this is achieved through the use of a shunt trip device.

When sprinklers are installed at the top of an elevator hoistway or in the elevator machine room, a heat detector (set at 135 degrees fixed) must be installed within 24 inches of the sprinkler head, according to Washington's Administrative Code. This does not apply to pit sprinkler heads. [WAC Rule 296-96-02277]

The 135-degree temperature setting is lower than the sprinkler head temperature to allow time for the automatic shunt trip of the elevator mainline before the sprinkler head device is triggered.

The heat detectors are connected through relays or coils to the mainline disconnect. Power for the shunt trip device/heat detector may be derived in one of two ways. Power can be supplied from the load side of the mainline disconnect or from a separate 120-volt branch circuit. In the situation where a separate 120-volt branch circuit is used, there must be an illuminated visual device indicating that the 120-volt circuit is live.

It is assumed that in the case of a fire, smoke will occur prior to heat. The smoke detectors associated with the elevator will send the elevator away from the smoke and open the doors and allow people to exit safely. Once this has occurred, if the heat rises above 135 degrees, the heat detector will activate the coils or relay that trip the elevator mainline, thereby cutting the electrical power to the elevator. If water is then applied to the elevator system, no further safety issues associated with the interaction of electrical equipment and water are relative.

If you would like to submit a question, please contact Becky at 360-902-6132, or e-mail ernb235@lni.wa.gov.

The Elevator program recently made a change to inspection reports that are sent out to customers.

In the upper right-hand corner of the report, the inspector's name and office phone number is now listed.

We encourage customers to contact their elevator company first, for questions or clarifications on a report. However, if additional information is needed, customers can also contact the inspector who visited the site.

July 2003  Edition 2