Schenectady, NY Building Safety: Elevator Maintenance (2026)

Chapter 167, § 167-44, Elevators and Dumbwaiters in Multiple Dwellings, lays out six maintenance duties for building owners. Subsection A is the umbrella rule: elevators, dumbwaiters and escalators must be maintained free from physical and fire hazards and wired according to the National Electrical Code. Subsection B requires elevators and power-operated dumbwaiter cars to carry a conspicuously located, durable sign stating the car's rated capacity, so occupants and inspectors can see the weight limit at a glance. Subsection C requires an approved means of transmitting an emergency signal outside the hoistway from inside the car, covering the alarm or communication system riders depend on if a car stops between floors.

Subsection D is a housekeeping rule: hoistways and pits must be kept free of refuse, since debris in a pit is both a fire hazard and an obstruction risk for maintenance workers. Subsection E turns to the machine room, requiring it be kept free of oil and grease, and barring its use for storing articles or materials not needed to maintain the elevator or dumbwaiter itself; the subsection separately bans keeping flammable liquids in the machine room at all. Subsection F closes the section with a direct prohibition on tampering: no person may make a required safety device or electrical protective device inoperative at any time, except when necessary during tests, inspections or maintenance work actually being performed on the equipment.