As used in this article, the following terms shall have the
meanings indicated:
ALTERATION
Includes any essential change to the elevator car, counterweights,
rails, machinery, safeties or other equipment or direct motive power,
except that any repair work made necessary by the ordinary operation
of the elevator shall not be deemed an alteration.
AMUSEMENT DEVICE
Includes all mechanically operated devices which are used
to convey persons in any direction as a form of amusement.
DUMBWAITER
Shall apply to such special form of freight elevator, whether
power-driven or manually operated, the dimensions of which do not
exceed nine square feet in horizontal section nor four feet in height.
ELEVATOR
Any device within or in connection with a building or structure
used for carrying persons or things upward or downward.
ESCALATOR
Shall apply to a moving, continuously inclined stairway or
runway designed for elevating or lowering passengers.
EXISTING INSTALLATIONS
Shall apply to an elevator, machinery or equipment used in
connection therewith, either already installed, in process of installation
or for which plans are on file with the Superintendent of Buildings
prior to August 26, 1918.
FREIGHT CONVEYOR
Shall apply to a device used for elevating or lowering freight
in a vertical or inclined direction on a continuously moving carrier,
without the services of an operator thereon.
FREIGHT ELEVATOR
Includes any elevator designed and used for the carrying
of things and of such persons only as are necessary for its safe operation
or the handling of things carried by it.
FUTURE INSTALLATIONS
Shall apply to any elevator, machinery or equipment used
in connection therewith installed after these rules become effective.
HAND-POWER ELEVATOR
Shall apply to such forms of passenger or freight elevators
which are manually operated, the dimensions of which exceed nine square
feet in horizontal section.
PASSENGER ELEVATOR
Includes any elevator designed and used for carrying persons,
other than those necessary for its safe operation or for the handling
of things carried by it.
POWER-DRIVEN ELEVATOR
Shall apply to any form of elevator except those operated
by hand power, gravity in both directions or through friction grip
on the pull rope.
SIDEWALK-TYPE ELEVATOR
Shall apply to such special form of freight elevator, either
power-driven or manually operated, the platform of which does not
exceed 50 square feet in area and is suspended or supported at one
or more points on the underside.
No passenger or freight elevator shall hereafter be installed
or altered in any building nor shall any amusement device be hereafter
constructed or altered until the owner or lessee, or agent, architect
or contractor of either shall have submitted to the Superintendent
of Buildings, in such form as the Superintendent of Buildings may
prescribe, an application accompanied by plans and drawings showing
the proposed construction and mode of operation, and such application
has been approved by the Superintendent and a permit has been issued
by him. Repairs to elevators and amusement devices may be made without
filing such application, except when such repairs include a change
in the type of elevator or of its motive power or when any change
in safety devices or operating mechanism is made.
Whenever a passenger or freight elevator or an amusement device
is hereafter installed or constructed, it shall be unlawful for the
owner or lessee to operate or permit the operation or use of the same
until a certificate shall have been obtained from the Superintendent
of Buildings that such elevator or amusement device has been inspected
and has been found to be safe. The Superintendent of Buildings shall,
within a reasonable time after being requested to do so, inspect or
cause to be inspected any elevator or amusement device hereafter installed
or constructed, and if the same is found to be safe and in conformity
to the requirements of this article and the rules adopted hereunder,
shall issue a certificate to that effect. Nothing herein contained
shall prevent the temporary use, under a certificate issued by the
Superintendent of Buildings, of any elevator during construction,
provided a notice is conspicuously posted on or in connection with
such elevator to the effect that such elevator has not been officially
approved.
Every passenger elevator shall be given a serial number for
purposes of identification. In the case of elevators hereafter installed,
such serial number shall be assigned when the first certificate is
issued, and, in the case of existing elevators, as soon as inspection
can be made for that purpose. A docket of all passenger elevators
shall be kept, giving under the corresponding serial number a description
of its location sufficient for identification, together with such
other information, a type of construction, together with such other
information as the Superintendent of Buildings may deem desirable,
such as type of construction, motive power, rise, rated speed, inspection,
etc. The owner or lessee or agent of either shall cause such number,
together with the most recent certificate of inspection, to be attached
or posted in the elevator car in the manner prescribed in the rules.
The Superintendent of Buildings shall cause an inspection of
all passenger elevators to be made at least once in every three months,
and of freight elevators and amusement devices at least twice in each
year. Upon notice from the Superintendent of Buildings, or his duly
authorized representative, any repairs found necessary to such elevators
or amusement devices shall be made without delay by the owner or lessee
and, in case defects are found to exist in the continued use of such
elevator or amusement device as are dangerous to life or limb, then
the use of such elevator or amusement device shall cease, and it shall
not again be used until a certificate shall be first obtained from
said Superintendent of Buildings that such elevator or amusement device
has been made safe. After every inspection which shows any elevator
or amusement device to be safe and in conformity with the requirements
of this article and the rules adopted hereunder, the Superintendent
of Buildings shall issue a certificate to that effect.
It shall be unlawful for any person, other than the operator
or those necessary to handle freight, to ride on, or for the owner
or lessee of any elevator knowingly permit any person to ride on,
any elevator other than a passenger elevator. Every freight elevator
shall have a notice posted conspicuously thereon as follows: "This
is not a passenger elevator. It is unlawful for any person other than
the operator or those necessary to handle freight to ride on this
elevator."
Except as may be specifically provided in any other law or ordinance,
every passenger elevator, except full automatic push-button elevators
and escalators, must be in charge of a competent operator of reliable
and industrious habits, not less than 18 years of age, with sufficient
previous experience in running an elevator under the instruction of
a competent person. No operators of amusement devices known as electrically
operated scenic railroads shall be employed who have not attained
the age of 21 years and who have not secured a certificate of competency
from the Superintendent of Buildings. If the Superintendent shall
find that the person engaged in running an elevator is incompetent
or not qualified, the owner or lessee of such elevator shall, upon
notice from the Superintendent of Buildings, at once discontinue the
operation of such elevator by such operator. No person shall employ
or permit any person to operate any passenger elevator who does not
possess the qualifications prescribed therefor by this or any other
law.
The owner or lessee, or person in charge of any passenger or
freight elevator or amusement device shall immediately notify the
Superintendent of Buildings of each and every accident to a person
or damage to apparatus on, about or in connection with such elevator
or amusement device, and shall afford the Superintendent of Buildings
or his representative every facility for investigating such accident
or damage. The Superintendent of Buildings shall, without delay, after
being notified, make an investigation, and shall place on file in
the Department of Buildings a full and complete report of such investigation.
Such report shall give in detail all material facts and information
available and the cause or causes so far as they can be determined,
and shall be open to public inspection at all reasonable hours. When
an accident involves the failure or destruction of any part of the
construction or operating mechanism of a passenger elevator or amusement
device, said passenger elevator or amusement device shall not be used
until it has been made safe, and the Superintendent of Buildings may,
if deemed necessary, order the discontinuance of the same until a
certificate has been issued by him for its use, but no part of the
damaged construction or operating mechanism shall be removed from
the premises until permission to do so has been granted by the Superintendent
of Buildings or his representative.