University elevator inspections are up to date

An investigation by The East Texan regarding the safety of elevators on campus has yielded information substantiating that they are all in proper working order.

All inspection documentation and safety requirements for the elevators have been met, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) guidelines, as well as state and federal law. According to provisions in Senate Bill 279 and House Bill 1090, all elevator owners must prominently display documentation that their equipment has been inspected. All owners of the elevators are required to post the Certificate of Compliance for the elevator in a location readily available to the public.

Public Information Officer for the TDLR Susan Stanford said locating the certificates in a separate building is acceptable.

"As long as anyone can view them in a timely manner, then they are in compliance," she said.

The law requires every elevator to have a plaque with the TDLR's phone number and location of the certificates. They must also be set in at least 18-point font. All elevators are in compliance with this regulation with the exception of Journalism Building's elevator, which has a paper with the information posted. However, Stanford said that is adequate.

The law also states elevators must be inspected every 12 months. A&M-Commerce has met this requirement by keeping all inspection certificates in the Physical Plant.

Though the updated inspection certificates have not arrived, invoice documentation shows all elevators on campus have been inspected in the last year and are all in compliance.

Electronic Utilities Supervisor Gary Williamson said the university contracts out to third-party firm Thyssen/Krupp to do monthly maintenance on all campus elevators. He said the organization will come out if any issues are reported with the elevators.

"They make sure it is in a safe operating condition," he said. "They get looked at more than once a month."

There are 33 elevators on campus, and according to police reports, there have been 21 instances this semester in which people were trapped for some duration of time. Of those 21 instance, one was due to a power outage, three were due to an accidental button push and five times the subjects reported to be in distress were gone by the time the police arrived.

The TDLR's Chief Elevator Inspector for the state of Texas Lawrence Taylor said that while this number is a bit high for 33 elevators, the entrapments actually indicate that the elevators' safety mechanisms are working effectively.

"Being caught in an elevator is not a bad thing," he said. "If an elevator detects a problem and stops, it's working. When it shuts down with people in it, it is doing what it is supposed to."

Taylor said although the certifications are through TDLR, it is usually third parties like Thyssen/Krupp who actually perform the elevator inspections.

"There are provisions in the law that require us to accept inspections from qualified inspectors," he said. "The law specifies the need for these inspectors to meet certain requirements. If they are licensed with the state, they can perform elevator inspections in the state of Texas."

Universities are known for having elevator problems, according to Taylor.

"Students are hard on elevators," he said. "Not that students are universally to blame (for elevator problems), but their rough ways can trigger events that will cause the elevators to shut down."

Anyone concerned about the elevators can contact the TDLR at 512-463-6599. The inspection certificates are available for viewing at the Physical Plant and can be requested by any member of the public.