This information is provided free of charge by the Department of Industrial Relations from its web site at www.dir.ca.gov. These regulations are for the convenience of the user and no representation or warranty is made that the information is current or accurate. See full disclaimer at https://www.dir.ca.gov/od_pub/disclaimer.html.

Subchapter 6. Elevator Safety Orders
Article 13. Escalators

§3089. Construction Requirements.

(a) Protection of Floor Openings. The protection of floor openings and the means of enclosing escalators, which may or may not be a part of the required egress system of the building, shall conform to governing building codes are not considered part of the Elevator Safety Orders.

(b) Angle of Inclination. The angle of inclination shall be not more than 30 degrees from the horizontal.

(1) The width of the escalator shall be the width of the step tread (to the next whole inch).

(2) The handrail shall be a minimum of 4 in. (102 mm) horizontally and 1 in. (25 mm) vertically away from adjacent surfaces. The centerline of the handrail shall be not more than 10 in. (254 mm), measured horizontally, from the vertical plane through the edge of the exposed step.

Image 1 within § 3089. Construction Requirements.

RELATIONSHIP OF ESCALATOR PARTS

FIGURE 3089A

(3) The following applies to escalators installed between April 16, 1970 and the effective date of subsections 3089(c), (1) and (2), unles they have been brought into compliance with subsections 3089(c)(1) and (2).

The width between balustrades shall be measured on the incline at a point 27 inches vertically above the nose line of the steps, and shall not be less than the width of the step. It shall not exceed the width of the step by more than 13 inches with a maximum of 61/2 inches on either side of the escalator. See Figure 3089B.

Image 2 within § 3089. Construction Requirements.

RELATIONSHIP OF ESCALATOR PARTS

FIGURE 3089B

(d) Balustrades.

(1) A solid balustrade shall be provided on each side of the moving steps. The balustrade on the step side shall have no areas or moldings depressed or raised more than 1/4 inch from the parent surface, except when skirt deflection devices, such as brushes, are used per Section 3089(d)(6). Such areas or moldings shall have all boundary surfaces beveled unless parallel to the direction of travel.

(2) Safety glass or plastic panels, if used in balustrades, shall conform to the requirements of ANSI Z97.1, except that there shall be no requirement for the panels to be transparent.

Exception: Plastic material bonded to a basic supporting panel.

(3) The width between the balustrades in the direction of travel shall not be changed abruptly nor by more than 8 percent of the greatest width. In changing from the greater to the smaller width, the maximum allowable angle of change in the balustrading shall be 15 degrees from the line of travel.

(4) A solid guard shall be provided in the intersecting angle of the outside balustrade (deck board) and the ceiling or soffitt.

Exception: Where the intersection of the outside balustrade (deck board) and the ceiling or soffitt is more than 24 inches from the center line of the handrail.

(A) The vertical face of the guard shall project at least 14 inches horizontally from the apex of the angle. On existing installations the vertical face of the guard shall be not less than 6 inches.

(B) The exposed edge of the guard shall be rounded to eliminate shear hazard.Guards may be glass or plastic, provided they meet the requirements of Section 3089(d)(2).

(5) Existing escalators shall comply with the following:

(A) Skirt deflection devices to protect against the accidental entrapment of body parts, clothing, shoes, etc., shall be installed; or

(B) Clearances between the skirt and the step shall comply with ASME A17.1-1996, Rule 802.3e, hereby incorporated by reference; and the skirt panel shall comply with ASME A17.1-1996, Rule 802.3f, hereby incorporated by reference.

(C) The escalator shall be inspected by the Division, following the completion of Section 3089(d)(5)(A) or (B), and a new permit to operate issued. Escalator owners shall have three years from April 1, 2000 to comply with Section 3089(d)(5).

(6) If provided, the skirt deflection device shall comply with the following:

(A) The rigid portion of the device shall not rise more than 3/4 inch from the parent surface of the balustrade;

(B) The plans, drawings, and specifications on the planned installation of the deflection device shall be submitted to the Division for review before they are installed. The Division shall review the plans, drawings, and specifications to ensure the planned installations and subsequent operation does not conflict with other requirements of Article 13;

(e) Handrails.

(1) Each balustrade shall be provided with a handrail moving in the same direction and at substantially the same speed as the steps.

(2) Each moving handrail shall extend at normal handrail height not less than 12 inches beyond the line of points of the combplate teeth at the upper and lower landings.

(3) Hand or finger guards shall be provided at the point where the handrail enters the balustrade.

(4) The horizontal distance between the center lines of the two handrails, shall not exceed the width of the escalator by more than 19 in. (483mm). Exception to 3089(e)(4): Existing installations installed prior to April 16, 1970.

(f) Step Treads.

(1) The depth of any step tread in the up direction of travel shall be not less than 153/4 inches, and the rise between treads shall be not more than 81/2 inches. The width of a step tread shall be not less than 22 inches nor more than 40 inches. Exceptions to 3089(f)(1):

(1) For existing installations installed prior to the effective date of this order, the width of a step tread shall not be less than 16 inches.

(2) Escalators installed prior to April 16, 1970 at which time no order existed.

(2) The step riser shall be provided with vertical cleats which shall mesh with slots on the adjacent step treads as the steps make the transition from incline to horizontal.

(3) The tread surface of each step shall be slotted in a direction parallel to the travel of the steps. Each slot shall be not more than 1/4 inch wide and not less than 3/8 inch deep; and the distance from center to center of adjoining slots shall be not more than 3/8 inch.

Slots shall be so located on the step tread surface as to form a cleat on each side of the step tread adjacent to the skirt panel.

(g) Combplates.

(1) There shall be a combplate at the entrance and at the exit of every escalator.

(2) The combplate teeth shall be meshed with and set into the slots in the tread surface so that the points of the teeth are always below the upper surface of the treads.

Combplates shall be adjustable vertically. Sections forming the combplate teeth shall be readily replaceable.

(h) Trusses or Girders.

The truss or girder shall be designed to safely sustain the steps and running gear in operation and in the event of failure of the track system, the truss shall retain the tracks, steps, and running gear.

Where tightening devices are operated by means of tension weights, provision shall be made to retain these weights in the truss if they should be released.

(i) Step Wheel Tracks.

Step wheel tracks shall be so designed to contain the step wheels in the track if a step chain breaks.

(j) Rated Load.

(1) For the purpose of structural design, the rated load shall be considered to be not less than:

(Customary Units)

Structural rated load (lb) = 4.6 ( W + 8) A

(Sl Units)

Structural rated load (kg) = 0.27 ( W + 203) A

where

A= length of the horizontal projection of the entire truss, ft(m)

W = width of the escalator, in. (mm)

(2) For the purpose of driving machine and power transmission calculations, the rated load shall be considered to be not less than:

(Customary Units)

Machinery rated load (lb) = 3.5 ( W+ 8) B

(Sl Units)

Machinery rated load (kg) = 0.21 ( W + 203) B

where

B = 1.732 x rise, ft(m)

W = width of the escalator, in. (mm)

(3) For the purpose of brake calculations, the rated load shall be not less than:

(A) With Escalator Stopped

(Customary Units)

Brake rated load (lb) = 4.6 ( W + 8) B

(Sl Units)

Brake rated load (kg) = 0.27 ( W + 203) B

(B) With Escalator Running

(Customary Units)

Brake rated load (lb) = 3.5 ( W + 8) B

(Sl Units)

Brake rated load (kg) = 0.21 ( W + 203) B

where

B = 1.732 x rise, ft(m)

W = width of the escalator, in. (mm)

Exception to 3089(j):

(1) For existing installations installed prior to the effective date of this order, the rated load shall be computed as follows:

The rated load, in pounds, shall be computed by the following formula:

RATED LOAD = 4.6 WA

Where W is the width in inches between the balustrades and A the horizontal distance in feet between the upper and lower combplate teeth. (See figure 3089B).

(k) Design Factors of Safety. The factors of safety, based on the static loads, shall be at least the following:

(1) For driving machine parts:

(A) Where made of steel or bronze, 8.

(B) Where made of cast iron or other materials, 10.

(2) For power-transmission members, 10.

Exception: Step chains composed of cast-steel links which, if thoroughly annealed, shall be permitted with a factor of safety of at least 20.

(3) Steel trusses and supporting structures, including tracks, shall conform to AISC Specification for Design Fabrication and Erection of Structural Steel for Buildings.

(l) Rated Speed. The rated speed shall be not more than 125 feet per minute.

(Title 24, Part 7, Section 7-3089.)

Note: Authority cited: Labor Code Section 142.3. Reference: Labor Code Section 142.3

HISTORY

1. Amendment of Figure 3089, subsection (d)(2), (k)(3) and repealer of subsection (e)(5) filed 6-23-77; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 77, No. 26).

2. Amendment filed 8-29-86; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 86, No. 35).

3. Amendment of subsection (d)(1) and new subsections (d)(6)-(d)(7)(C) filed 3-13-2000; operative 4-1-2000 pursuant to Government Code section 11343.4(d) (Register 2000, No. 11).

4. Amendment of subsection (d)(1), repealer of subsection (d)(3), subsection renumbering, and amendment of newly designated subsection (d)(5)(C) filed 5-6-2002; operative 6-5-2002 (Register 2002, No. 19).

5. Change without regulatory effect amending subsections (c)(2) and (c)(3) to provide more legible illustrations in Figures 3089A and 3089B filed 5-1-2009 pursuant to section 100, title 1, California Code of Regulations (Register 2009, No. 18).

This database is current through 3/5/21 Register 2021, No. 10

Go Back Go Back to Article 13 Table of Contents