The PBC provides government authorities a uniform procedure to assess and enforce safety requirements on new technology.  While this has always existed in the form of variances to the Elevator Safety code requirements, the PBC provides regulators with a complete process that assures that new technologies are assessed expertly and independently before they are asked for final approval.  The burden of analyzing the new design for equivalent safety is no longer solely dependent on the authority having jurisdiction; however, final approval of all elevator systems remains the responsibility of the appropriate authority having jurisdiction for each location in which the elevator is being proposed for installation.

The Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators, ASME A17.1/CSA B44, is based on prescriptive language, and revisions take time due to the nature of the consensus process.  As a result, older versions of ASME A17.1/CSA B44 work well for existing technologies, but may be unwieldy when applied to newly developed ones.  This has deterred the introduction of alternate technology in North America as there is no uniform, structured process that is universally acceptable to authorities having jurisdiction.  Nevertheless, the need for a method to introduce new technology is recognized in the preface to ASME A17.1/CSA B44, where it states:

“Where present requirements are not applicable or do not describe new technology, the authority having jurisdiction should recognize the need for exercising latitude and granting exceptions where the product or system is equivalent in quality, strength or stability, fire resistance, effectiveness, durability, and safety to that intended by present code requirements.”

This statement gives regulators the authority to approve the use of alternative technology, but it does not provide a uniform system to develop standards.

The Performance Based Code for Elevator Safety (PBC) provides authorities having jurisdiction with an objective and structured method for approving new technology while ensuring continued elevator safety. Safeguards must be provided and documentation must be presented verifying that designs and products are equivalent or superior to the current standards.  This structured method also provides a consistent means of demonstrating safety of designs and products which will be helpful to the regulating authorities.

Global Essential Safety Requirements

The alternative process established by the PBC for determining elevator safety is based on a structured application of Global Essential Safety Requirements (GESRs).  As opposed to the prescriptive process in ASME A17.1/CSA B44, the PBC provides authorities having jurisdiction with the ability to use GESRs which identify the safety objective, but provide flexibility for elevator manufacturers to accomplish that objective.

The burden to show compliance with the GESRs is, as it should be, on manufacturers.  They must carry out a risk assessment and document the results in a Code Compliance Documentation (CCD).  However, because this process is uniform, manufacturers can invest in documenting and certification for new technologies knowing that there is a process for due diligence to be applied across state and local jurisdictions.  Safety is enhanced because authorities having jurisdiction will have a robust report and information available to them to approve alternative elevator systems, and the focus of that information will be on the ability of those systems to eliminate safety risks addressed in the GESRs.

Accredited Elevator/Escalator Certification Organizations

To further aid authorities having jurisdiction, the PBC requires all new technologies to be approved by Accredited Elevator/Escalator Certification Organizations (AECOs).  An AECO is an independent organization concerned with product safety evaluation which evaluates and awards certificates of conformance with the PBC based on the manufacturers documented risk assessments.  AECOs must be accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) or the Standards Council of Canada (SCC).

Before certifying an elevator system, an AECO examines all technical documentation provided by the manufacturer to verify that the system meets all applicable GESRs.  The AECO will then perform tests to determine that the elevator meets all of the requirements of the PBC. 

An AECO certification provides a valuable tool to regulating authorities seeking to ensure that all new technology that is not covered under current elevator safety code has been tested and certified to meet or exceed the safety standards in the PBC. 

While this is a valuable tool, it is important to note that the AECOs in no way diminish the power or responsibility of regulating authorities, since final approval power still rests with the authority having jurisdiction.  The authority having jurisdiction is under no obligation to accept the Certificate of Conformance or any of the recommendations from the AECO and they may choose to review all documentation from the AECO review process, including the CCD for the elevator design.