CAN/CSA-B44-94

Preface

This is the eighth edition of CS Standard CAN/CSA-B44, Safety Code for Elevators. It supersedes previous editions published in 1990, 1985, 1975, 1971, 1966, 1960, and 1938. It is written in SI (metric) units.

The Standard was originally prepared to meet a desire for uniform legislation throughout the various provinces and to replace the legislation previously existing in Canada which had proved inadequate in view of the then prevailing elevator practices. Its primary purposes are to provide reasonable safety for those persons who come in contact with elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators, moving walks, and freight platform lifts by establishing minimum standards for design, installation, and maintenance and for adoption by regulatory authorities throughout Canada. It is also intended as a standard reference for the use of architects, consulting engineers, elevator manufacturers, and owners.

This Standard has been prepared by the Technical Committee on the Elevator Safety Code under the jurisdiction of the Standards Steering Committee on Public Safety and was formally approved by these Committees. It has been approved as a National Standard of Canada by the Standards Council of Canada.

In the preparation of this eighth edition, the American National Standard Safety Code for Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators and Moving Walks (ANSI/ASME A17.1), and changes thereto, have been carefully studied and grateful acknowledgement is given to this organization for the material used.

Section 10 is modelled after ASME's A17.1-1990, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, Section XII, Alternations, Repairs, Replacements and Maintenance. Permission to use this Section was granted by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 345 East 47th Street, New York NY 10017-2392.

Scope

1.1

This Standard establishes minimum requirements for the design, construction, installation, operation, inspection, testing, maintenance, alteration, and repair of elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators, moving walks, freight platform lifts, and their hoistways or wellways, and temporary use of permanent elevators for carrying workmen or materials, but does not apply to

(a) belt, bucket, scoop, roller, or similar type conveyors;

(b) portable tiering or piling machines used to move materials to and from storage and located and operating entirely within one storey;

(c) equipment for feeding or positioning materials at machine tools, printing presses, furnaces, etc;

(d) hoists for raising or lowering materials and which are provided with unguided hooks, slings, and similar means for attachment to the materials;

(e) lubrication hoists or similar mechanisms;

(f) wharf ramps;

(g) amusement devices;

(h) stage and orchestra lifts;

(i) lift bridges;

(j) railroad car lifts or dumpers;

(k) material hoists and workmen's elevators used to raise and lower building material and workmen in buildings under construction;

(l) manlifts, counterbalanced type or endless belt type;

(m) devices having a travel of 2000 mm or less and used only for the transfer of materials or equipment, nor to platform lifts having a travel of 500 mm or less;

(n) vertical conveyors;

(o) lifts for persons with physical disabilities.

Notes:

(1) See Appendix A for private residence elevators.

(2) Appendix E covers recommended requirements for persons with physical disabilities when such requirements are to be incorporated in elevators.

1.2 Exceptions

1.2.1

Where a requirement cannot be complied with literally because of practical difficulty or where its literal application would cause undue hardship, the regulatory authority may grant exceptions, but only when it is clearly evident that reasonable safety is assured.

1.2.2

The regulatory authority may also grant exceptions or permit alternative methods where it is assured that equivalent objectives can be achieved by establishing and maintaining effective safety.