HOUSE BILL ANALYSIS

                     HB 2313

Brief Description:  Revising the regulation of elevators, escalators, and other conveyances.

Sponsors:  Representatives Wood and Boldt, by the request of the Department of Labor and             Industries.

                  Hearing:  January 15, 1998

BACKGROUND:

The Department of Labor and Industries administers and enforces a statutory program providing for the safe operation, erection, installation, alteration, inspection, and repair of publicly and privately owned elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters, belt manlifts, moving walks, and other similar conveyances.  The Department of Labor and Industries  administers this program through the Supervisor of Building and Construction Safety Inspection Services. However, the Supervisor of Industrial Safety and Health is responsible for regulating hand powered elevators, belt manlifts and one-man capacity manlifts on grain elevators.

An installation permit must be obtained from the department before a conveyance is built, installed, moved, or altered.  An operating permit is required for each conveyance operated in the state.  A permit is not required for repairs and replacement normally necessary for maintenance when parts of equivalent materials, strength, and design are used. The statute exempts from regulation conveyances within, and owned by a city with an elevator code of equal requirements to those of the department. The statute also exempts from regulation conveyances permanently removed from service, and certain lifts built temporarily for construction work. The statute requires annual inspection and testing of conveyances by the department.

The department has adopted rules, and has established fees for the enforcement and administration of the statute.

SUMMARY OF BILL:

Various elevating devices included in the term Aconveyance@ are added and defined.

Inspection responsibility for hand powered elevators, belt manlifts and one-man capacity manlifts on grain elevators are changed from the Supervisor of Industrial Safety and Health to the Supervisor of Building and Construction Safety Inspection Services. The bill makes clear that only construction personnel may ride an elevator with a Alimited use@ permit, and that private residence conveyance owners are exempt from the operating permit requirement, unless he or she requests an operating permit.

The Department may assess a penalty for the failure of an employer to correct a violation after notification of inspection results.

RULES AUTHORITY: None.

FISCAL NOTE: Requested on January 9, 1998.

EFFECTIVE DATE: Normal.