Expired Campus Elevator Permits

Example permit from the MU elevator.

Permit from the Briggs Hall elevator (found April 28th 2006).

Those who frequent campus (and off campus) elevators may have noticed that most buildings have expired elevator permits.

The elevators are likely safe and legal. http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/sub6g1.html is the section of law that covers this area. The applications for inspection have been filed for all elevators on campus, and during May 2005 they are all being inspected. Once the inspections are finished we will have new permits for a year. Prior to expiration the applications for inspection will once again be filled out, and the process of waiting for inspections will once again begin. It takes about a month to inspect all of the elevators on campus.

Then the question becomes: have the elevators that expired around mid 2003 really been waiting at least 20+ months for their inspections? An argument can be made that the elevators are operating illegally, as the code says:

California Code Title 8, Section 3001. 
(c) Permit to Operate Required. No elevator shall be operated without a valid,
current permit issued by the Division.

A ominous sign posted outside the Phys Geo elevator on 2006-12-19

Several of the elevators have a note saying that the permits are actually housed at the building maintenance division. More than likely they are not expired. However, California Labor Code Section 7320, states "The division may assess a civil penalty of up to one thousand dollars ($ 1,000.00) against any person owning or having custody, management, or operation of an elevator, who operates the elevator without a permit or who fails to conspicuously post the permit in the elevator car," which indicates that it may be illegal to not post the permit in the elevator.

The California Aggie ran a story on the elevator permits after several students were trapped in the Miller Hall elevator on 2006-10-31. Hilariously, the student housing may charge the students for the damages caused by the fire department's rescue efforts, even though the students were not over the posted personage/weight limit.

If you have more information about this mysterious issue, please edit this page.

List of elevators and permits.

You know, since I first saw a posting on this I've kept my eyes open for every elevator I've been on. I think this may be a non-issue, as every single government-owned building in Sacramento (including all 4 elevators in the capitol building) are expired too. If ya'll are that worked up about this, I really recommend calling your county weights and measures office or the appropriate state agency and see if they all got extended in some budget-cutting move (which seems to make the most sense). -TL

2006-05-05 18:21:57   Maybe the new permits haven't been placed in all the elevators? Confimation or Denial? —TusharRawat

2006-05-06 04:49:57   The elevators in Briggs feel like death traps. They are very scary, especially the one near the loading dock. They finally fixed the one inside Briggs, but it still is really creaky. The one in the outside stairwell also seems to be possesed as it opens and shuts at random and goes up and down with noone in there. —DudeNude

2006-05-06 10:14:51   (4) Reinspections of the devices covered by these regulations shall be as prescribed in Labor Code section 7304 which requires all elevators to be inspected at least once each year, but permits up to a two-year period if an elevator is in a safe condition for operation and is subject to a full maintenance service contract. Such reinspections may be done by certified inspectors as defined in section 3003.{http://www.dir.ca.gov/title8/3001.html (b)(4)} Might explain why they let them go. Hopefuly will be fixed soon. —JaniceGutshall

2006-05-07 10:23:01   I always take Death Trap, the elevator in the rear of Briggs to the 3rd floor. It's not that bad, still the 2003 placard is unnerving. —MatthewTom

2006-05-07 10:25:50   Also: More reason to take the stairs. (I take the elevator in Briggs because the place is as easy to navigate as a mouse maze) —MatthewTom

2006-05-07 12:01:14   Anyone who has an intense irrational fear of elevators like I do and wants a huge rush take the elevator in Bainer hall to the 4th floor. THAT is why they call it the death trap. DO NOT press the emergency button, it gets there eventually... or does it???? —NickHowells

2006-05-07 13:09:43   Actually, I contacted OSHA about this awhile ago after a wheelchair-bound professor got trapped in an elevator in Briggs. Permits are no longer required to be kept in the elevators, but in one central location in the building, like one of the departmental offices or something. So, even though the elevators all have expired permits, some may not be truly expired. —MeGodfrey

2007-03-13 00:59:26   Little known fact: Carlson Library always has an up-to-date permit. Or at least I have never seen it become expired. —KirstenOnell