SMCCCD District

FAQs about Elevators

Why are some of the elevator permits expired?

The California State Division of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) Elevator, Ride and Tramway (ERT) Unit issues permits to operate our elevators and other lift devices; they conduct periodic inspections to ensure that the devices are operating safely; and they investigate complaints and accidents. If the permit in an elevator has expired, it is because DOSH has not conducted their annual inspection for this period. It is not unusual for DOSH to be behind schedule, and we have no way to impact their inspection schedule. Being a government agency, DOSH has experienced budget cuts that have resulted in work overloads for their inspectors. Their inspectors place priority on inspecting new or reconstructed elevators and elevators that were involved in injuries, and place the lowest priority on "unincidental" elevators that simply require a reinspection, such as ours. Until DOSH conducts their inspection, they will not re-issue a current permit.

Are the elevators safe to ride?

Absolutely! The Facilities Department and our business partner, Schindler, are committed to elevator reliability and safety. We are very aware of how critical elevators are to College operations, and particularly to our disabled community members who rely on them to navigate through the campus.

What type of maintenance service is conducted on the elevators?

Schindler Elevator Company provides monthly maintenance service to ensure safe and reliable operation of our elevators and lifts. Schindler thoroughly inspects and makes adjustments to the variety of components required to ensure smooth and reliable operation, including cab fixtures, signals and lights, handrails and panels, hoistway rails, machine room equipment, pumps and valves, oil levels and tank integrity, controller contacts, main operating controllers and switches, pump motor bearings, traveling cables, pit gland packings, undercar guides, traveling cables, door operator components, door safety edges, light rays and cables.

Facilities Department staff provide inspections of the elevators routinely throughout the month. Although California law prohibits our Engineers from working on elevator mechanisms, our Facilities Department staff are trained to ensure that they are knowledgeable and prepared to assist in preventive maintenance, repair and entrapment rescues.

If I am trapped in an elevator, what should I do?

First, please stay calm. Use the elevator telephone to contact an elevator service representative. The person on the other end of that phone line has been trained to provide reassuring communication. They will immediately dispatch an elevator service technician to get you out of the elevator.

You will notice signage in each elevator cab, next to the telephone call box, that provides directions to entrapped or distressed passengers in the event they need to use the call box to contact an elevator service representative. The information on those signs will ensure that the call center has all the information they require to respond in a timely manner.

It takes time for an elevator technician to travel to the problematic elevator. Some elevator rescues might take minutes; other times, it may take longer for the technician to travel to the site and troubleshoot the problem. Please stay calm, and know that help is on the way. If you feel panicked, please use the telephone to contact the service representative again.

The Facilities Department and our business partner, Schindler, take elevator safety and reliability very seriously. We understand how unpleasant and unsettling entrapments are, and do everything in our power to avoid them and respond to them sensitively and quickly when they do occur.

Who monitors the elevator telephones?

Schindler Customer Service Network monitors the elevator telephones. Together with the excellent monthly maintenance program that Schindler provides, their 24/7 monitoring service ensures that we receive the best possible response to entrapments and other elevator service issues.