Inspection Guidelines
Over the past few years, inspection authorities have come to recognize that:
- the complexity of emergency elevator communication systems is always increasing.
- elevator telephones are one of the inspection categories with the largest number of deficiencies.
- inspectors usually do not have an extensive background in telecommunications.
- increasing workloads often result in less inspection time being available for buildings.
- there are significant differences in how the equipment from various manufacturers will operate.
As a result, there is a growing consensus that having a standardized series of tests for emergency elevator communication systems is a very good idea, particularly since many operational shortcomings in the equipment are rarely detected by the standard "push the call button and ask the operator if she knows where I’m calling from" test.
In response to regular requests from elevator authorities and consultants, Webb Electronics Inc. has assembled a set of "best practices" suggestions that we’ve developed over the last 20 years as specialists in the manufacturing and installation of emergency elevator communication systems.
It is recommended that the elevator contractor be made responsible for conducting these tests and for providing compliance documentation to the AHJ.