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.
Related: safety chain and governor, maintenance program, code map.