Florida Senate - 2017                                    SB 1634
       
       
        
       By Senator Steube
       
       
       
       
       
       23-01117A-17                                          20171634__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to residential elevators; amending s.
    3         399.031, F.S.; requiring that an elevator controller
    4         be capable of monitoring the closed and locked
    5         contacts of the hoistway door locking device;
    6         requiring that the elevator controller be capable of
    7         interrupting the power for the motor and brake for a
    8         hoistway door locking device under certain
    9         circumstances; prohibiting an elevator car from being
   10         restarted until certain conditions are met; requiring
   11         a visual indicator to be visible at all landings under
   12         certain circumstances; deleting a requirement that the
   13         underside of the platform of an elevator car be
   14         equipped with a specified device; deleting
   15         requirements for such devices; deleting a requirement
   16         that manual reset of an elevator resume before
   17         downward motion is allowed; requiring the Florida
   18         Building Commission to adopt certain provisions
   19         relating to residential elevators into the Florida
   20         Building Code by a specified date; providing an
   21         effective date.
   22          
   23  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   24  
   25         Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 399.031, Florida
   26  Statutes, is amended to read:
   27         399.031 Clearance requirements between elevator doors for
   28  elevators inside a private residence.—
   29         (3) During normal operation, the elevator controller must
   30  monitor the closed and locked contacts of the hoistway door
   31  locking device, whether electrical or mechanical. If either the
   32  closed and locked contacts of the landing locks or the car gate
   33  contacts are open while the car is not in the unlocking zone for
   34  the hoistway door locking device, the elevator controller must
   35  interrupt power to the motor and brake and must not allow the
   36  elevator car to restart until the owner or the owner’s agent,
   37  with a master elevator key, has checked for obstructions above
   38  and below the elevator car, returned the hoistway door locking
   39  device contacts to the normal operating position, and manually
   40  reset the elevator controller with the master elevator key.
   41  Additionally, a visual indicator must be visible at all landings
   42  until the hoistway door locking device has been returned to the
   43  normal operating position and the elevator controller has been
   44  manually reset The underside of the platform of an elevator car
   45  shall be equipped with a device that, if the platform of the
   46  elevator car is obstructed anywhere on its underside in its
   47  downward travel, interrupts the electric power to the driving
   48  machine motor and brake, if provided, and stops the elevator
   49  car’s downward motion within 2 inches. The stroke of the device
   50  may not be less than the stopping distance of the platform of
   51  the elevator car. The force required to operate the device may
   52  not exceed 15 pounds. Downward motion shall be permitted to
   53  resume only after the elevator has been manually reset.
   54         Section 2. The Florida Building Commission shall, by
   55  October 1, 2017, adopt into the Florida Building Code pursuant
   56  to s. 553.73(8), Florida Statutes:
   57         (1) A provision authorizing the permanent installation of a
   58  nonremovable, hoistway door space guard in order to comply with
   59  section R321.4.1(c)2-5 of the Florida Building Code, 5th Edition
   60  (2014) Residential. The door space guard must be designed and
   61  installed to withstand a force of 75 pounds applied horizontally
   62  using a 4-inch-diameter sphere at any location within the folds
   63  on the car door without permanent deformation.
   64         (2) Section 399.031, Florida Statutes, relating to
   65  clearance requirements between elevator doors for elevators
   66  inside a private residence.
   67         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.