Acceptance and periodic tests: what is measured, and what proves it

Testing is where engineering, code and paperwork meet. The equipment either performs or it does not – but the result only counts if it is measured correctly and recorded so a third party can follow it.

Acceptance testing (new or altered equipment)

Area	What is verified
Clearances and guarding	Running clearances, machine room and hoistway guards, access
Doors and interlocks	No motion with an entrance open, reopening device performance, closing force where required
Driving machine and brake	Brake holding capacity, stopping distance, machine securing
Safety devices	Governor and safety gear function, buffers, final limits, slack rope devices
Levelling and accuracy	Stopping accuracy at each landing, in both directions, loaded and unloaded as specified
Electrical	Disconnecting means, earthing, insulation where required, emergency lighting and communication
Rated load and speed	Performance at rated load; overload detection where fitted

Periodic testing (existing equipment)

Intervals depend on the jurisdiction, but the pattern is consistent: a lighter annual examination with functional checks, and a heavier test at longer intervals that repeats the safety-gear, governor and full-load work. Both depend on the same discipline:

Test at the condition the requirement specifies – rated speed, rated load, or the stated percentage.
Measure and record, rather than observing “it worked”.
Correct the defect and retest; a failed test that is simply noted is not a completed test.

Records that survive scrutiny

Unit identification, and the standard edition the unit is tested against.
Date, time, ambient conditions and load condition for each test.
Instrument used and its calibration status where a measurement is taken.
Measured values against the acceptance value.
Personnel performing and witnessing, and any defects found with the corrective action.

Do not test to pass; test to find. A test that is arranged so the equipment cannot fail (bridged circuits, defeated devices, artificially light loads) produces a certificate that protects nobody, and the defect it hides is exactly the one that will be discovered after an incident.