Annual report FY ... of the Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau

              N. C. Department of Labor
Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau
FY 2007 Annual Report
Cherie Berry
Labor Commissioner
Jonathan Brooks
Bureau Chief
Tom Chambers
Assistant Bureau Chief
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CONTENTS
FY 2006- 2007 Highlights ......................................................................................... 3
Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau.............................................................. 3
Performance and Achievements ............................................................................. 4
Elevator Inspections.......................................................................................... 4
Amusement Device Inspections ....................................................................... 7
Other Notable Achievements in Amusement Device Inspectors ................... 8
Accident and Incident Investigations .............................................................. 9
Revenues, Expenses and Inspector Hours ...................................................... 10
Current Bureau Initiatives...................................................................................... 11
CHARTS
Chart 1 Applications Received for New and Existing Registered Units….……. 4
Chart 2 Number of New Inspections – Growth…………………………………. 5
Chart 3 Routine Inspections……………………………………………………… 5
Chart 4 Routine Inspections Completed in 2006- 2007………………………….. 6
Chart 5 Number of Amusement Device Inspections and Violations…….…….... 7
Chart 6 Accident and Incident Investigations………………………………….... 9
Chart 7 Accident and Incident Reporting ............................................................ 9
Chart 8 Inspector Expenses Vs. Fees Collected…………………………………. 10
Chart 9 Inspectors Travel, Field, Office Time…………………………………... 10
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FY 2007 Highlights and Accomplishments
 In the past three fiscal years, applications for new elevators have increased by 11.4 percent,
while applications for alterations and repairs have increased by 10.8 percent.
 A total of 16,506 routine elevator inspections were completed in 2006- 2007.
 The total number of accident investigations in 2006- 2007 decreased by 20 percent
compared to 2004- 2005. This can be attributed to the bureau’s increased training for
inspectors as well as increased education through our annual industry meetings.
 We continued to promote a statewide Rider Safety Program targeted at school age children.
The program this year was “ Measure Up to Safety” and we distributed 114,600 height
stickers for kids and safety buttons, which were worn by the rider operators. There were 37
out of 45 fairs participating.
 Completed development of a new Web- based computer application to electronically
process elevator inspection reports from the field directly to the central database.
 Our bureau now has state representation on the National Association of Elevator Safety
Authorities ( NAESA) Board of Directors.
 The bureau had the first amusement device partnership signed this year. The partnership
agreement was between the Ghost Town in the Sky amusement park located in Maggie
Valley and the N. C. Department of Labor Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau.
 This year the bureau investigated 41 incidents and only six reportable incidents per the
General Statue of the state.
The Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau
The Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau is responsible for the proper installation and
safe operation of all elevators, escalators, workman's hoists, dumbwaiters, moving walks, aerial
passenger tramways, amusement rides, incline railways and lifting devices for persons with
disabilities that operate in public establishments ( except federal buildings) and private places of
employment. It also inspects all of the amusement devices each and every time they are set up for
operation in the state. The bureau inspects all inflatable amusement devices and portable rock
walls that operate in the state on annual basis. The annual inspection of inflatable devices and the
rock walls is from March to March.
The bureau was responsible for making 18,934 routine and new inspections as well as
5,614 amusement device inspections at 1,195 locations in 2006- 07. The bureau consists of thirty
field inspectors, three field supervisors, four administrative staff, and assistant chief and the bureau
chief. The Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau is a receipt- supported bureau, which means
that the fees collected pay for the operation of the bureau and the salaries of the bureau staff.
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2006- 2007 Performance and Achievements
Elevator Inspections
Inspections of elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators and handicapped lifts consist of new applications
and inspections, applications for repairs/ alterations, routine and compliance which are defined as
follows:
New Application: Document submitted by the installer of equipment containing all specific
information about the unit as well as the location and owner information and type
equipment. This application is reviewed by the bureau engineer for code compliance.
New Inspection: When a new unit is installed and the first inspection is conducted for code
compliance and approved for public use.
Application for Repairs/ Alterations: Document submitted by elevator contractors
performing the alteration or repair to the equipment. Information provided is type
equipment, location, owner information and description of work being performed.
Routine Inspection: Inspections conducted on existing certified units to include elevators,
escalators, dumbwaiters and handicapped lifts.
New Compliance Inspection: Inspections conducted when the unit fails its initial
acceptance inspection due to non- compliant installation conditions that prohibit the unit
from being certified under national code requirements.
Routine Compliance Inspection: Re- inspection of units in which violations were sited to
confirm corrective action was taken and unit was brought into compliance.
Chart 1
Growth in New Elevators and Alterations/ Repairs
951
660
997
758
1059
731
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
New Applications For Inspection Applications for Inspections of
Repairs/ Alterations
2004- 2005 2005- 2006 2006- 2007
As shown in Chart 1, the bureau has seen an increase in new applications in the last three
fiscal years of 11.4 percent. There was a slight decrease in applications for alterations and repairs
from 2005- 06. In Chart 2, the total number of new inspections dropped in 2006- 07 from the
previous fiscal- year by 24.2 percent. Most of the drop was due to an approximately 70 percent
reduction in new handicap lift inspections.
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Chart 2
Number of New Inspections
( 6% Increase in Total New Inspections 2005- 2007)
1109
943
14
28
124
407
1038
57
79
376
525
1176
1021
21
24
110
620
1550
0
200
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
Total Number
New
Inspections
Elevators Dumbwaiters Escalators Handicap Lifts New
Compliances
2004- 2005 2005- 2006 2006- 2007
Chart 3
Routine Inspections
17,110
15,066
487
541
1,016
528
16,814
14,796
446
543
1029
455
16,506
14,650
391
512
953
376
0
5,000
10,000
15,000
20,000
Total Number
Routine
Inspections
Elevators Dumbwaiters Escalators Handicap
Lifts
Routine
Compliances
2004- 2005 2005- 2006 2006- 2007
The total number of routine inspections completed for the past three fiscal years has remained
relatively steady as shown in Chart 3. There were a total of 17,758 routine inspections due in
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2006- 07. Chart 4 indicates that 16,506 of those inspections were completed while 1,252 ( 7
percent) were at least one day past due for inspection as of July 1, 2007.
The percentage of overdue units is a result of several factors. Each inspector is responsible
for providing service for multiple counties. As with many state and private agencies, the bureau
experiences loss of production due to sickness, disability, Family Medical Leave Act, and
increased inspection activities in various areas throughout the state. It is also important to note that
owners of elevators, escalators, dumbwaiters and moving walks retain maintenance contracts with
elevator contractors who perform maintenance on the related equipment as required by the national
code that the bureau enforces. The scope of such maintenance includes the testing of all safety
devices specific to the equipment. The code requires this activity to be documented for review by
the state inspector.
Chart 4
Total Number of Routine Inspections Completed
in 2006- 07
1252
7%
16,506
93%
The Elevator Advisory Board formed by Labor Commissioner Berry in 2004 to advise on
enforcement of the Elevator Safety Act and to have input into areas of administrative
policies/ regulations met once in 2006 and once in 2007. The board discusses subjects such as
code issues, fee structure, adoption of new code requirements regarding new technologies and
products, and specific field inspection issues that affect the industry. Board membership consists
of the bureau chief who serves as officiator and representatives of the elevator industry.
Bureau management also held another annual meeting with representatives of elevator
companies in North Carolina to discuss issues and mutual concerns. These meetings give the
bureau’s customers the opportunity to discuss their concerns and suggestions in an open forum
with other members of the industry.
Effective July 1, 2007, the bureau increased elevator and related equipment fees. The
dumbwaiters and handicapped lifts increased from $ 35 to $ 65 per inspection. All hydraulic
elevators, escalators and special lifting devices increased from $ 118 to $ 175 per inspection. All
traction elevators increased to $ 200 per inspection regardless of the number of floors.
The bureau has completed the computer program allowing the field inspectors to down load
their work to the Raleigh office. The bureau created an Information Technologies Committee to
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keep the bureau updated on the latest software as well as maintaining the program that we have
created. This program is a major step toward making the bureau “ paperless.” The program began
in full operation September 2007.
Amusement Device Inspections
Amusement device inspections consist of hard rides, inflatable rides, go- karts, rock-climbing
walls, etc. Tramways and ski lifts are also included in this inspection category. While
hard rides at permanent parks, such as Carowinds, are inspected once annually, hard rides with
traveling amusement companies are inspected every time they are set up for operation at fairs,
festivals, carnivals and other amusement events. The bureau inspects all inflatable amusement
devices and portable rock walls that operate in the state on an annual basis.
Chart 5
Number of Amusement Device Inspections & Violations
1256
5587
5882
1145
5455
6127
1195
5614
4207
0
1000
2000
3000
4000
5000
6000
7000
Total # Amusement Ride
Inspection Locations
Total # Amusement Rides
Inspected
Amusement Ride Violations
2004- 2005 2005- 2006 2006- 2007
Chart 5 indicates the total number of individual rides inspected, the number of locations
inspected and the number of violations. A violation is cited when there is a repair or replacement
required before certification.
While the number of individual amusement rides inspected has remained relatively steady
for the past three years, the number of locations where inspections were made has increased by 4.4
percent since 2005- 06. The number of violations has decreased which is partly due to operator
safety training classes conducted by bureau inspectors and supervisors.
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Other Notable Achievements in Amusement Device Inspections
The Elevator and Amusement Device Bureau continued the Rider Safety Program again in
2006 and 2007. This year’s slogan was “ Measure Up to Safety.” The bureau developed banners to
allow the participating fairs to hang up and measure the children at their fair. Along with the
banners, we made stickers for the people measuring the children so they can write their height in
inches on the sticker. Also we had buttons made for the ride operators to wear during the fair
season. The purpose of measuring height of the children is that various amusement devices are
manufactured with specific height requirements to afford the maximum in safety. It also decreases
the probability of a child becoming displaced while the ride is in operation.
In partnership with the N. C. Fair Association, we distributed 114,600 safety stickers at their
local fairs, distributed safety buttons for rider operators as well as posting large signs with the
eleven safety tips. The signs were displayed at entrances at 37 of the 45 participating fairs. In
addition, our bureau conducted safety meetings with the ride operators of each amusement
company playing one or more fairs in 2006. Each operator was given information about what ride
operators should know about their rides and specific information about their personal safety.
An advisory board was also established for amusement devices in 2004. The board is
comprised of a ride manufacturer representative, two representatives for carnival owners, two
representatives for the inflatable industry and a representative for permanent parks. Three
meetings were held for 2006- 2007 with the Amusement Advisory Board. This year the bureau
created a N. C. Safety Amusement Star, a program to recognize companies for safety excellence.
This will be presented to qualifying companies that go above and beyond in safety for their
patrons. The board was challenged with setting the criteria for companies to earn this flag to hang
at their company businesses. We plan to kick off this program in 2008.
Moreover, as with elevator companies, our bureau held an annual meeting with amusement
companies during this fiscal year. One meeting was held during the morning with owners and
operators of inflatable rides and in the afternoon with owners and operators of hard rides. The
meetings are separated since each group has different issues for discussion. There were
approximately 155 attendees for these meetings.
The bureau Web site has seen many changes. Most of the forms needed by our customers
are there to complete and submit online directly to us for processing. A few new forms were
created to submit online also. There was a complete re- formatting of our home page with the
elevator and amusement sections divided for ease of use. We added a “ What’s New” section for
all information that we wanted customers to see quickly. We also created a link to our elevator
inspection database for public inquiry. Elevators may be selected by choosing from either the
county drop- down list, entering a company name, or by clicking on the state map and then the
individual county. The listing contains the owner and user company name and address, equipment
type, capacity, installed date, number of landings, and speed. The list is in order by county name,
owner name and occupant name.
Accident or Incident Investigations
Accident investigations are conducted when more than first aid is required. The owner of
the equipment is required to contact the bureau. An inspector is sent to the location and completes
a report that is kept on file.
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As Chart 6 reflects, the total number of accident investigations in 2006- 2007 decreased by
20 percent compared to 2004- 05. This can be attributed to the bureau’s increased training for
inspectors as well as increased education through our annual industry meetings. During 2005- 06,
each inspector was issued for the first time an accident investigation kit containing all the tools
necessary for conducting a thorough investigation. Chart 7 gives the numbers for reportable and
non- reportable incidents, mechanical or human error as well as the number of amusement vs.
elevator/ escalator incidents.
Chart 6
Accident/ Incident Investigations
55
45
44
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Accident/ Incident Investigations
2004- 2005 2005- 2006 2006- 2007
Chart 7
16
28
6
38
39
5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
Accident Data 2006- 2007
Amusement
Device Incidents
Elevator/ Escalator
Incidents
Reportable
Non- Reportable
Human Error
Mechanical Error
Revenues, Expenses and Inspector Hours
Chart 7 and 8 indicate inspectors’ expenses, travel time, field time, office time, mileage
expenses and fees collected.
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The increase in travel and field time shown in Chart 8 is attributed to increased workload,
both elevators and amusements, as well as conducting operational checks for all local fairs and
festivals during operation and additional assistance with initial inspections. Inspectors’ field time
has increased ( 2 percent) compared to 2005- 2006.
Chart 8
Inspector Expenses Vs. Fees Collected
$ 131,939.10
$ 3,388,468.00
$ 157,265.73
$ 129,480.07
$ 2,766,538.00
$ 135,832.02
$ 128,697.50
$ 2,773,407.00
138,806.88 $ 0.00
$ 500,000.00
$ 1,000,000.00
$ 1,500,000.00
$ 2,000,000.00
$ 2,500,000.00
$ 3,000,000.00
$ 3,500,000.00
$ 4,000,000.00
Mileage Costs Fees Collected Total Expenses
2004- 2005 2005- 2006 2006- 2007
Chart 9
Inspectors' Travel, Field, Office Time
10,839.50
34,840.25
5,202.75
9,516.39
33,616.65
5,439.30
10,730.75
34,272.25
4,387.50
0.00
5,000.00
10,000.00
15,000.00
20,000.00
25,000.00
30,000.00
35,000.00
40,000.00
Travel Time/ Hrs. Field Time/ Hrs. Office Time/ Hrs.
2004- 2005 2005- 2006 2006- 2007
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Current Bureau Initiatives
1. Improve consistency at all levels of regulation by the implementation of the Amusement
Inspectors Apprenticeship Program, providing information for any changes in legislation
on code requirements that impact our industry, and continuing to provide training and
equipment for field staff.
2. Improve the quality of services provided for all our customers by providing online
capabilities to access information related to this industry such as electronic submission for
all bureau forms and customer data. Create a Web- based search program to assist in
gathering information about registered units in order to expedite the application and
inspection services we provide.
3. Enhance our outreach programs for both elevator and amusement companies by providing
opportunities for communications and feedback to better serve our customers. Enhance
Web- based programs for gathering information, Elevator and Amusement Advisory Board
meetings, and partnership with the N. C. Fair Association.
4. Improve and enhance our information technologies capabilities to increase productivity.
Continue to focus on future opportunities for education and training as technology and
customers’ needs change.
5. Create new opportunities involving the riding public:
- Safety awareness to the fair attending public;
- Public school children awareness by distributing safety handouts; and
- Enhance the ride operator safety meetings through education and training programs for
employees.
6. Develop partnerships with all of our customers to ensure the mission and the vision of this
bureau stays focused on the needs of the customer, while still maintaining a high standard
of safety and service.
7. Complete development of a back- office computer application to successfully manage the
amusement device program in order to better manage a growing workload and increase
productivity. Develop and implement an elevator inspection apprenticeship program as
well.
8. The development of the Amusement Safety Star program for the amusement industry. The
program will be for both the amusement device owners as well as the fair or permanent
parks that wish to participate in the program. The Star program will be a completely
voluntary program.