NEII Insider 2022: Edition 9

Elevator Industry Descends on Louisville for NAEC Convention and Exposition

NEII team members were among the elevator industry professionals who gathered in Louisville, Kentucky earlier this month for the National Association of Elevator Contractors (NAEC) 73rd Annual Convention and Exposition.

The event, which took place Sept. 17-21 at the Kentucky International Convention Center and the partner hotel Galt House, featured more than 150 supplier exhibits, multiple networking events, and a lineup of educational sessions that included as panelists NEII Executive Director Amy Blankenbiller and Senior Director of Codes Kevin Brinkman. Blankenbiller joined with other partners from the OSHA Alliance for a panel discussion on how that group impacts the industry; and Brinkman served on a panel to discuss the Elevator Industry Field Employees’ Safety Handbook, moderated by Elevator World’s T. Bruce MacKinnon.

When not serving as panel speakers, NEII’s delegation, which included Blankenbiller, Brinkman and Billy Taylor, could be found walking the exhibition floor to interact with NEII member companies at the event, including Draka EHC, MEI and Vantage – just to name a few.

Following the event, NAEC thanked NEII and its members for the participation and support:

“This year’s NAEC Convention and Exposition in Louisville brought together more than 2,000 industry peers from across the industry, including 158 exhibits featuring the newest technology and products,” said NAEC Executive Director Rená Cozart. “The annual event, which provides valuable networking opportunities as well as educational sessions for stakeholders across the industry, is strengthened by the inclusion of industry partners like NEII, who participated in two panels during the event. NAEC would like to thank NEII and its members for supporting the largest vertical transportation convention in North America. See you next year in Reno!”

Learn more about upcoming events and NAEC at naec.org.

Response and Recovery from Hurricane Ian

To assist in response and recovery operations in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security provided guidance to numerous industries supporting the nation’s critical infrastructure. NEII is a partner with CISA and participates in the Critical Manufacturing Sector Council.

Post incident re-entry and access control is generally managed at the local level and not by the State of Florida or other states. As advised by CISA, elevator contractors and subcontractors and their employees seeking access into areas impacted by Hurricane Ian to service and restore equipment should have the following documents in their possession:

Government-issued ID (drivers license or U.S. passport)
Proof of employment (e.g., employer credentials or ID, letter on employer letterhead)
Work order or employer authorization indicating nature of business

CISA has requested relevant federal, state, and local authorities to coordinate access and support for critical infrastructure sector owners, operators, contractors, and sub-contractors to repair and restore facilities. NEII member companies experiencing persistent difficulties in accessing facilities and infrastructure to support restoration of service can provide their concerns to NEII for engagement with CISA.

Construction Inclusion Week and other DEI Work

This month, NEII is gearing up for Construction Inclusion Week, which will be held October 17-21. Construction Inclusion Week was founded by a group of general contractors in 2021 to harness the collective power of the construction industry to build awareness regarding the need to improve diversity, equity and inclusion in the industry.

NEII will have several exciting events in place for Construction Inclusion Week, not to mention serving as a source for industry resources at neii.org. In addition, we will be again promoting the industry’s inclusive PPE Challenge to broaden the awareness campaign further throughout the construction industry. We will again be asking companies or organizations that provide inclusive sized and styled PPE to indicate their support of equity and inclusion in their workplaces on social media.

If you are interested in getting involved as well, take a look at the information at constructioninclusionweek.com and make your own plan to participate in this important campaign.

New York City Code Update – Important Changes to Fire and Emergency Operations

On November 7, 2022, new building and elevator codes will be effective in New York City. Among the many important changes in the elevator code will be very recent changes to the rules governing fire and emergency operations. In September, the NYC Department of Buildings adopted additional amendments to the new elevator code. Those changes affect elevator emergency operation and signaling devices, elevator capacity and loading. The amendment also added a new rule regarding maintenance and testing of electric elevators.

The most significant change affects Phase I and Phase II emergency recall operations. The new rules require that no device measuring load may prevent both Phase I emergency recall and Phase II emergency in-car operation of the elevator.

The Final Rule will be published in the City Record on October 6, 2022, and will be effective along with the rest of the updated code on November 7. A copy of the Final Rule may be found here.

US Department of Labor Awards Grants for Workplace Safety

The United States Department of Labor announced on September 22, 2022 the award and grant winners of the Harwood Grants. The Hardwood Grants focus on targeting training, hazard awareness, and creating safety training programs throughout the nation. The grants were awarded to just under 100 different non-profit organizations, including community and faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor-management associations, Native American tribes, and local and state-sponsored colleges and universities. Target trainees include small-business employers and underserved, vulnerable workers in high-hazard industries.

The award winning non-profits and organizations offer worker safety and training. Make sure to check out organizations near you that might have benefited from this year’s grant recipients.

Upcoming Recruitments

The elevator industry is hiring. Below are the upcoming recruitments for elevator constructor apprentices. Please share these opportunities as appropriate.

Currently, there are open recruitments in

Roanoke, VA until October 7
Charlotte, NC until October 14
Boise, ID until October 16

Other recruitments in October

October 2, a recruitment opens in Springfield, MO until October 22
October 2, a recruitment opens in Wichita, KS until October 22
October 25, a recruitment opens in Las Vegas, NV until November 8 – please note: this recruitment will close after 500 applications are submitted

For more information on the industry and training and recruitment opportunities, please visit neiep.org.

Code Development Update

ASME A17/CSA B44 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators: ASME A17/CSA B44: The next edition is scheduled for publication in Q1 next year and will be the 2023 edition. There are still some administrative steps to finalize the process, but all of the working committees are now focused on changes for the following edition.

ICC International Building Code Series (I-Codes): Public Comment Hearings for the Group B changes for 2024, which include proposals for the International Existing Building Code, International Residential Code, and structural requirements in the International Building Code were held September 14-18 in Louisville, KY. All changes are complete pending online voting. One notable change was the addition of language in the IBC, IRC, and IPMC to reference the hoistway door location requirements in A17.1/B44.

ICC A117.1 Standard for Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities: The A117 committee is meeting virtually every two weeks to review proposed revisions for the next cycle. The goal is to complete the work in time for publication at the end of 2023.

NFPA 70 National Electric Code – Changes for the 2023 edition have been completed. Publication is expected in 2023.

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code – Second Draft meetings for the 2024 editions have been completed. Publication of the 2024 editions is expected in 2023.