Subchapter J. ESCALATORS
Sec.
7.321. Construction.
7.322. Drive.
7.323. Capacity.
7.324. Safety equipment.
7.325. Tests.
7.326. Prohibition—wheeled vehicles.§ 7.321. Construction.
(a) Angle of inclination. The angle of inclination of new escalators shall not exceed 30° from the horizontal. The Department may, in its discretion, require that the angle of inclination of existing escalators be lessened if such change is considered necessary for the safety of the public or employes.
(b) Width. The width of all new escalators shall be measured between balustrading at a vertical height of 24 inches above the nose line of treads. No escalator shall have a width less than 22 inches or more than 29 inches unless a horizontal tread formation is utilized, in which case the width shall not be greater than 48 inches.
(c) Enclosures. Each new escalator shall be enclosed on each side from the handrail to the escalator treads. These enclosures shall, on the escalator side, be smooth without depressed or raised paneling or moulding. There shall be no jogs or abrupt changes in width between the enclosing sides. If a change in width is necessary, it shall not be more than 8.0% of the greatest width and the enclosing sides shall then be moulded to such change at an angle not greater than 15 degrees from the line of escalator travel. The use of glass panels in connection with balustrading is prohibited except when special, approved types of glass are used.
(d) Strength of truss or girder. The strength of escalator trusses or girders shall conform to the following:
(1) Generally. Escalator trusses and all supporting structure, including tracks, shall conform to the AISC Specification for design, fabrication and erection of structural steel for buildings, 1969.
(2) New installations. The escalator truss or girder shall be of sufficient strength to safely retain the escalator treads in their runs, with the maximum passenger load, should the tread chain break. Escalator trusses or girders shall be designed and constructed with a factor of safety of at least five, based on the static loads.
(3) Existing installations. Existing escalators shall be carefully examined under load. The truss or girder shall be able to carry the weight of the treads with the maximum passenger load should the tread chain break.
(e) Track arrangement. On new installations the track for guiding an escalator tread shall be so constructed as to prevent the displacement of the upper line of treads if the tread chain breaks.
(f) Treads and landings. Escalator treads and landings shall be constructed of material which affords a secure foothold such as wood or material used for safety treads. If the landing is of concrete it shall have edge insertions of metal, wood, or other antislip material.
(g) Handrails. New escalators shall be equipped on both sides with moving handrails operating at the speed of the escalator and in the same direction of travel. Existing handrails shall conform to the requirements for new installations if, in the judgment of the Department, such changes are practicable and necessary.
(h) Reconstruction. When an existing escalator is removed or reerected in a new location, such reconstruction shall be in conformity with the requirements for new installations.
Source The provisions of this § 7.321 amended September 23, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2696. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (13395) to (13396).
§ 7.322. Drive.
(a) Motive power arrangement—all installations. Each escalator shall preferably be driven by an independent electric motor but under no circumstances shall more than two escalators be driven by one motor. The latter arrangement is permissible only when the two are placed so closely together as to be practically one unit.
(b) Chains. The strength of chain drives shall conform to the following:
(1) New installations. Chains used for driving escalator treads shall have a factor of safety of not less than ten when operating with the full capacity at maximum speed, except when the chains are composed of cast steel links, which shall be thoroughly annealed, in which case the factor of safety shall be not less than 20.
(2) Existing installations. Chains used for driving escalator treads shall be of sufficient strength to carry the load without breakage or misplacement. When such chains are in need of renewal, the new chains shall possess a safety factor of not less than ten when the escalator is operating with full capacity at maximum speed.
§ 7.323. Capacity.
The maximum capacity of newly installed escalators shall be determined as follows:
(1) For escalators 24 inches or less in width, the maximum load shall equal 110 times the horizontally projected length of exposed treads in feet.
(2) For escalators over 24 inches in width, the maximum load shall equal 4.6 times the width of the escalator in inches times the horizontally projected length of exposed treads in feet.
§ 7.324. Safety equipment.
(a) Brakes. Each escalator drive shall be provided with an electrically-released, mechanically-applied brake which automatically stops the escalator if the circuit is opened.
(b) Emergency stops. There shall be a button or other type of switch located in a conspicuous position at the top and bottom landings of every escalator and accessible to the public. The operation of such buttons or switches shall cause interruption of the power supply, application of the brake, and stoppage of the escalator. Under no circumstances shall the arrangement be such that these buttons or switches may be used to start the escalator. Such buttons or switches shall be plainly marked ‘‘Escalator Stop Button,’’ or ‘‘Escalator Stop Switch,’’ as the case may be.
(c) Starting switches. When starting buttons or switches are located in such a position as to be of possible access to the public, they shall be either of the key operated type or be enclosed in a box provided with a lock and key.
(d) Protection against reversal of direction. Each new escalator operated in the ascending direction shall be equipped with a safety mechanism so that in case of accidental reversal of the motion of the escalator, the power is cut off, the brake applied and the escalator stopped. On a reversible escalator, the safety mechanism shall be so arranged as to be made inoperative when the escalator is descending and operative when the escalator is ascending.
(e) Protection against broken chains. New escalators shall be provided with a safety device which will open the power circuit, apply the machine brake, and bring the escalator to a gradual stop if the tread chain or chains break.
(f) Tension weights. When new escalators are equipped with tightening devices operating by means of tension weights, provision shall be made to retain such weights in the escalator truss in case the weights should fall.
(g) Machine room. There shall be a suitable and permanent lighting fixture in every machine room, the lighting of which may be accomplished without passing or reaching over any part of the machinery. The minimum intensity of illumination shall be 1 foot-candle. In installations constructed after January 1, l951, the machine room or platform shall also have a minimum clear cross sectional area of 6 square feet to enable inspection and repair of machine and control device without exposure to electric shock or to operating machinery. This minimum area may include a space made available by providing a removable control cabinet arranged with the trail cables for maintenance or inspection procedures outside the machinery space.
(h) Access to interior of escalators. Reasonable access to the interior of all escalators shall be provided for inspection and repair.
Source The provisions of this § 7.324 amended through September 23, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2696. Immediately preceding text appears at serial pages (15210) to (15211).
Cross References This section cited in 34 Pa. Code § 7.14 (relating to tests); and 34 Pa. Code § 7.325 (relating to tests).
§ 7.325. Tests.
The following tests shall be run on all new or rebuilt escalator installations:
(1) Speed test. The application of the overspeed safety device where so equipped shall be obtained by causing the escalator to travel at the governor-tripping speed. With escalators driven by alternating current motors, the governor may be tripped by hand with the escalator traveling at its normal rate of speed.
(2) Reversal test. The application of the reversal safety device as prescribed in § 7.324(d) (relating to safety equipment) shall be made by releasing the machine brake and operating the escalator by hand in the reverse direction or by some approved alternate procedure.
(3) Broken chain test. The application of the broken chain safety device as specified in § 7.324(e), shall be obtained by operating the safety by hand.
(4) Miscellaneous tests. A suitable test of the machine brake, emergency stopping buttons or switches, and other safety features required on escalators shall be made to determine whether they function properly.
Source The provisions of this § 7.325 amended through September 23, 1977, 7 Pa.B. 2696. Immediately preceding text appears at serial page (15211).
§ 7.326. Prohibition—wheeled vehicles.
Wheeled vehicles are not permitted on escalators.
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