Campus Takes Steps to Ensure Elevator Safety

Despite expired safety permits on many campus elevators, UC Berkeley and state officials said there is little need for worry.

Christine Shaff, communications manager for the campus's department of facilities services, said a complete examination of the campus's 289 conveyances is under way, without increased danger to those who use elevators with expired operating permits.

"The inspectors are about halfway done, and they are issuing updated permits as they go," she said. "Some of the updated pieces of paper have just not made it into the elevators yet."

The campus hired a private firm to perform state-mandated inspections after the state did not conduct inspections as quickly as in past years due to the state employee furlough program and budget cuts to California's Department of Industrial Relations.

Dean Fryer, a spokesperson for the Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Occupational Safety and Health, said the strongest disciplinary action taken for violations of the code was shutting down the relevant elevator, although he said there were no plans to do so at UC Berkeley.

Shaff said the campus submitted a formal request for a review of its elevators to the department last spring. However, delays from the state led the campus to seek services elsewhere.

"We hired an inspection firm in late August that is certified by the state," she said. "They started the inspections in late September."

Shaff added that working through the private firm-the only one approved by the state to conduct safety reviews on conveyances-was actually cheaper than using the state's services.

She could not offer details about the name of the company or the amount of savings to the campus. However, she said she did not know of any problems detected by the ongoing inspections and that no serious elevator incidents have occurred during the twelve years she has served in her current position.

Fryer said that since UC Berkeley has four staff members dedicated to elevator maintenance, its priority in the state examination waiting list, which stretches one to two months in duration, is not as high as locations without on-site staff .

He added that given these campus resources, passenger safety and potential legal consequences stemming from expired safety permits were not as big of a concern as at other sites.

Department resources are instead focused elsewhere, he said.

"When we have problems, (it) is with old or badly managed buildings," Fryer said.

While the department had been unable to deploy its inspectors in what campus officials said was a timely manner, Fryer said the department has hired more staff in recent years and achieved greater efficiency, despite employee furloughs and budget cuts.

Tags: DEPARTMENT OF FACILITIES SERVICES, CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS DIVISION OF OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY