New Code Requirement | Elevator Door Lock Monitoring

From the Desk of George Gagle

Ever since the invention of safeties by Elijah Otis, regulations have been put into place to ensure the safety of passengers and will always be changing in part due to accidents that have resulted in major injuries or death. 

As jurisdictions and state agencies adopt new regulations and codes, they will most likely affect your elevator and escalator equipment even though they have been approved and inspected for many years. As these changes go into effect, they usually have a financial impact on the owners and managers. 

With the acceptance of the A17.3 2002 code by New York City (NYC), Department of Buildings (DOB) a new requirement known as “Door Lock Monitoring” or DLM came into effect. This requirement had an enormous impact to the owners/managers and the elevator industry. To lessen the burden NYC allowed the requirement to be “phased-in” over a three-year period.  As more jurisdictions adopt this code, we are going to see it affect more and more areas throughout the US. 

The question you may be asking yourself, will this upcoming adoption affect my elevators?

Since we were involved with the new Door Lock Monitoring Elevator requirements in NYC, below are some Q&A that may answer some of those questions. 

My elevator was recently installed or upgraded; does this apply to me?

There is no straight answer. This will vary by jurisdiction and may be dependent on what was adopted. In general, elevators installed before 2009 will not likely have the necessary wiring and circuitry to conform to this new regulation, which will then require a full DLM upgrade. Elevators installed after 2009 may only require a few changes to the elevator system. 

How do I know if this affects my elevators? 

The only way to truly determine if your elevators are affected is to perform an independent thorough review on the elevators and understand the regulatory code changes. VDA has performed these reviews for their clients to determined which elevators were affected and at what level of upgrade or change if any was needed based on the adoptions. 

If the changes affect my elevators what are the costs?

We found costs in NYC range from $15,000 to $30,000 per elevator for a full DLM upgrade.  Partial upgrade or changes can range between $5,000 to $20,000 an elevator to meet the new requirement. We also found in some cases a full modernization was a more cost-effective solution than just an upgrade.  

Who can review my elevators and determine the best method of compliance? 

VDA are experts in the field of vertical transportation and work closely with our clients providing a full assessment of their equipment to determine the best solution. When these changes affect our client, we work with the elevator companies on their behalf to ensure bids are competitive, upgrades are done properly, and the work is completed in a professional manner.

 For more information on door lock monitoring contact VDA 

VDA Is an all-inclusive elevator and escalator consulting firm providing services for the comprehensive maintenance design and engineering for elevators escalators moving walks dumbwaiters and lift systems in new and existing market segment.