Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Elevator Operations PDF

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG 320-01 Elevator Operations Issue Date: 05/21/2018...

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue Standard Operating Guideline SOG 320-01 Elevator Operations Issue Date: 05/21/2018 Effective Date: 06/21/2018 PURPOSE: To establish guidelines for the prompt and safe removal of passengers from malfunctioning elevators. AUTHORITY:  Fire Rescue Administrator SCOPE: This standard operating guideline shall apply to all Emergency Operations personnel. PROCEDURE: 1. General a. Lockout/Tagout measures shall be in place according to SOG 300-03 Lockout-Tagout. b. Personnel accountability procedures shall be followed according to SOG 220-01 Personnel Accountability. c. Always consider safety first when working around elevator machinery. d. It is not recommended that Fire Rescue personnel attempt any of the following: i. Move the elevator by means of: 1. Manual lowering 2. Raising 3. Hydraulic bleeding 4. Car drifting ii. Attempt to repair any electrical or mechanical equipment. iii. Move or disable the power with the use of: 1. Stop switches 2. Pit switches 3. Car top switches e. The removal of passengers from stalled elevators can be a time consuming, labor- intensive event. When working around elevator machinery, all actions must be well thought out and deliberate. Precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of both the passengers and Fire Rescue personnel. f. In the event the passengers are out of the malfunctioning elevator prior to the arrival of Fire Rescue personnel, the Company Officer should make every attempt to determine which elevator was malfunctioning and report the problem to a building representative prior to leaving the scene. SOG 320-01 Elevator Operations Page 1 of 5  g. Elevator Service Company i. Upon determining a malfunctioning elevator, the elevator service company shall be requested to respond, ascertain an ETA if possible. ii. Unless there is a medical emergency or other extreme condition, it is always best to wait for the elevator service company. iii. If at any time the elevator service company arrives, Fire Rescue personnel should establish contact with them and work towards the safety and well- being of the elevator passengers and the elevator equipment. iv. Even with the arrival of the elevator service company, Fire Rescue personnel shall not operate any: 1. Equipment 2. Switches 3. Valves 4. Devices that shall result in movement of the elevator. v. The above operations can only be performed by elevator company personnel. 2. Activity Sequence a. Fire Rescue personnel should check the building Knox Box for the presence of elevator keys. b. Fire Rescue personnel should consider the use of a fireground simplex channel (TAC 14A, TAC 15A) to communicate on scene. This may be a necessity due to building construction and should be considered to avoid interfering with normal tactical channel operations. c. Determine the location of the stalled elevator i. Check the position indicator. ii. Check with bystanders, building personnel, or people in the elevator. iii. Open the hoist way door and shine a light into the shaft. iv. Use an in-service elevator to check the hoist way. v. Check roof top elevator machine room (if applicable) and look down cable drop holes. This may not be possible if machine guards are in place, machine guards shall be required on all elevator machinery effective 2015. d. Establish and maintain communication with the passengers i. Voice contact ii. Elevator car telephone iii. Cell phone e. Assess Passengers i. Determine the number of passengers. ii. Determine the medical status of the passengers. iii. Provide emergency care instructions if applicable and appropriate. iv. Request additional resources if needed. v. Reassure the passengers they are safe and measures are being implemented to correct the situation. vi. Clearly instruct the passengers not to attempt to climb out of the elevator or exit the elevator until instructed and assisted by Fire Rescue personnel. vii. Remain in contact with the passengers during the incident. SOG 320-01 Elevator Operations Page 2 of 5  f. Clearly identify the elevator that is malfunctioning i. Press the call button in the lobby or other floors. ii. Instruct the passengers to push the main floor and lobby buttons. iii. Instruct the passengers to verify the inside elevator car door is fully closed by pressing and holding the “DOOR CLOSE” button while pushing the doors toward the closed position. iv. Ensure the hoist way doors on all floors are fully closed. This requires a firefighter to go to each floor and push each hoist way door toward the closed position. g. Elevator Machine Room Firefighter i. At least one firefighter shall go to the elevator machine room. ii. The elevator machine room firefighter shall be in contact with the other Fire Rescue personnel and communicate their entry into and out of the elevator machine room. iii. Elevator main power switches are typically located within: 1. An arm’s reach of the elevator machine room door. 2. Sight of the elevator hoist motor. iv. When multiple elevators are present, the importance of shutting down the power to the correct elevator is paramount. Generally, elevators are identified by: 1. Either numbers or letters. 2. In a clockwise direction from the main lobby entrance. v. Generally, two disconnect switches are present for each elevator: 1. Large switch for the elevator main power. 2. Small switch for the lights and fans inside the elevator car. vi. Whenever possible, the switch that controls the lights and fans shall be left “ON”. vii. Once in the elevator machine room locate the elevator main power switch for the affected elevator and await orders to shut the power “OFF”. viii. Once the power is in the “OFF” position the elevator main power switch shall be secured according to SOG 300-03 Lockout/Tagout. ix. Whenever possible, the elevator machine room firefighter should remain at the elevator machine room to provide security after they have installed Lockout/Tagout equipment. h. Attempt to recall the elevator to the main floor i. Attempt to return the elevator car to the main floor by activating Phase 1 using the Fire Service key. ii. Fire personnel shall not and do not “reboot” elevators under any circumstances. i. Passengers exiting an elevator car i. There are two classifications of passengers exiting an elevator car: 1. Removal 2. Rescue ii. Removal is for elevators stalled when the elevator car floor is within 3-feet from a landing. It is when a passenger is able to step out of the relative safety of the elevator car due to close proximity to a landing. SOG 320-01 Elevator Operations Page 3 of 5  iii. Rescue is for elevators stalled when the elevator car floor is greater than 3- feet from a landing. Rescue is at greater risk due to: 1. Entering the hoist way. 2. A large opening between the elevator car floor and landing. iv. Extreme Caution should be used when passengers are exiting an elevator car and the hoist way has a large enough opening that a person could fit (even laying down or rolling into). Passengers have slipped and fallen into hoist ways that had a relatively small opening. Consideration should be given to blocking a hoist way opening with a physical object (i.e., a ladder or table on its side) and securing any exiting passengers. 3. Removal a. Elevators stalled when the elevator car floor is within 3-feet from a landing. b. Communicate to the Firefighter in the elevator machine room to shut the power “OFF” to the malfunctioning elevator and secure it with the Lockout/Tagout device. c. Open the hoist way doors using the hoist way door key. d. Assist passengers out of the elevator car utilizing a ladder, stepladder, or stool (as necessary). e. If exiting passengers are exposed to the elevator car top or elevator hoist way in any way, the following shall apply: i. The exiting passenger shall be equipped with a ladder belt or safety harness that is secured with a rope. No exceptions. ii. At a minimum, a firefighter shall be the anchor point for the rope, securing to a fixed object is preferred. iii. This operation shall be closely monitored with a reasonable length of rope between the passenger and anchoring Fire Rescue personnel. f. After all passengers have been safely removed from an elevator car: i. Ensure all hoist way doors are fully closed and secured. 4. Rescue from elevator car to a landing a. Elevators stalled when the elevator car floor is greater than 3-feet from a landing. b. Use “risk analysis” when considering removing passengers through the roof hatch of a stalled elevator car. c. Consider requesting the assistance of an Aerial or Special Operations. d. Communicate to the firefighter in the elevator machine room to: i. Shut the power “OFF” to the malfunctioning elevator. ii. Shut the power “OFF” to nearby adjoining elevators. iii. Secure the power switches with Lockout/Tagout devices. e. Proceed to the floor above the stalled elevator and open the hoist way door with the hoist way door key. f. All Fire Rescue personnel entering a hoist way shall be wearing: i. A safety harness, which shall be secured with a rope, and closely monitored by Fire Rescue personnel. ii. Helmet iii. Gloves SOG 320-01 Elevator Operations Page 4 of 5  g. Extend a ladder from the landing above the stalled elevator to the top of the elevator car (generally, a roof ladder shall be sufficient). Ensure the ladder extends at least 3- feet above the landing. h. Unlock the roof hatch (bolt cutters may be required) and extend a second ladder into the elevator car through the hatch (generally a 10’ folding or attic ladder shall be sufficient). i. Enter the elevator car and place the switch in the “STOP” position (if applicable). j. Reassure the passengers they are safe and explain the action plan on removing them from the elevator car. k. All passengers entering a hoist way shall be wearing: i. A ladder belt or safety harness, which shall be secured with a rope, and closely monitored by Fire Rescue personnel. No exceptions. ii. Helmet l. The anchoring rope shall be anchored at the landing above the elevator car. m. After the exiting passenger is secured: i. Assist the passengers, one at a time, out of the elevator car and onto to the roof of the elevator limiting their movement. ii. Assist the passengers from the roof of the elevator to the landing above with a ground ladder. n. After all passengers have been removed from the elevator car: i. Re-secure the roof hatch prior to leaving the hoist way. ii. Ensure all hoist way doors are fully closed and secure. 5. Rescue from elevator car to another elevator car a. Performing an elevator Rescue operation from one stalled elevator car to another functional elevator car is an extremely technical operation and shall only be performed as a last resort by Special Operations. 6. Scene Termination a. Secure all hoist way openings. The danger of an unattended open hoist way is one of the most common causes of elevator fatalities. b. Turn the elevator incident over to a building representative or elevator company personnel. c. The Lockout/Tagout device should remain in place until the building representative or elevator company assumes responsibility. Refer to SOG 300-03 Lockout/Tagout for further information. d. Fire Rescue personnel shall never place an elevator back “in-service” following an elevator incident. Supersession History 1. SOG #2021, issued 04/01/1994 2. SOG #2021, issued 05/02/2014 3. SOG 320-01, clerical 05/01/2018 4. SOG 320-01, issued 05/21/2018 SOG 320-01 Elevator Operations Page 5 of 5