Louisiana 2014 2014 Regular Session

Louisiana Senate Bill SB602 Comm Sub / Analysis

                    The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part of the
legislative instrument, were prepared by Julie J. Baxter.
DIGEST
Nevers (SB 602)
Proposed law requires certain elevators and conveyance devices to be registered with the office
of the state fire marshal and inspected by licensed elevator inspectors.
Proposed law lists the conveyance devices that will be subject to the registration and inspection
requirements of the Conveyance Devices Safety Act.
Proposed law lists the conveyance devices that will be exempt from the registration and
inspection requirements of the Conveyance Devices Safety Act.
Proposed law provides guidelines for which standards existing and newly installed conveyance
devices must meet.
Proposed law requires the office of the state fire marshal to promulgate rules providing for the
following:
(1)Registration by the owner of each conveyance device installed prior to April 1, 2015,
except those in one- or two-family dwellings.  Provides that the owner of the conveyance
device shall register the device with the state fire marshal's office by April 1, 2016.
(2)Registration by an elevator contractor who installs a conveyance device on or after April
2, 2016, including those installed in one- or two-family dwellings.  Provides that the
elevator contractor shall cause the device to be registered and inspected by a licensed
elevator inspector prior to the device being put into use. Provides that the elevator
inspector shall be independent of the elevator contractor that installed the elevator.
(3)That the owner of each conveyance device, except those in one- and two-family homes,
installed prior to April 1, 2016, shall cause an annual inspection of the device by a
licensed elevator inspector.  Provides that the first inspection shall occur prior to April 1,
2017.
(4)A process by which licensed elevator inspectors shall report the findings of each
inspection to the fire marshal and to the owner of the conveyance device and by which a
licensed elevator inspector shall indicate to the public that a conveyance device meet
applicable standards during his inspection.  Provides that such process shall include the
following, at a minimum:
(a)If the inspector determines that the conveyance device does not meet applicable
standards, he shall describe these facts in detail and cite the standards and deficiencies in his report.
(b)The fire marshal shall notify the owner of the conveyance device inspected of
remediation required to be made and the time frame in which the remediation
shall be made.
(c)The owner shall dispute the findings of any report by requesting a hearing with the
board of review, R.S. 40:1578.1.
(d)The licensed elevator inspector shall place a notice on a conveyance device he
inspected indicating his name and the date that the device met applicable
standards according to his inspection.
(5)Application of those standards of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers and
American National Standards Institute, Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators and
American Society of Mechanical Engineers Safety Standards for Platform Lifts and
Stairway Chairlifts, American Society of Civil Engineers, and Automated People Mover
Standards which are applicable to conveyance devices or elevators, to each conveyance
device inspected.
(6)Implementation of the Conveyance Devices Safety Act under 	proposed law upon the
appropriation of funds through any source of funding made available for this purpose.
(7)Establishing qualifications for the licensing of firms as elevator inspection firms.
(8)Establishing qualifications for the licensing of persons as elevator inspectors.
Proposed law authorizes the office of the state fire marshal to put a conveyance device, except
those in one- or two-family dwellings, out of service if it poses a threat to the public.
Proposed law provides for the licensing of elevator inspector and elevator inspector firms and
requires all inspections of conveyance devices required pursuant to proposed law be conducted
by licensed elevator inspectors.
Proposed law provides for fines and penalties for violations of proposed law.
Effective August 1, 2014.
(Amends R.S. 40:1576, 1578.1(A)(9) and (10) and (B), and 1578.2; adds R.S. 40:1578.1(A)(11)
and (12) and 1597.1-1597.23)