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New Code Compliance Update for Residential Elevators


Revisions to the ASME A17.1/CSA B44-2016 National Safety Code for Elevators - Section 5.3 Private Residence Elevators were published on November 30, 2016 and are effective as of May 30, 2017.

Compliance to the new standard is required within six months of its publication; but because states and local governments use ASME 17.1/CSA B44 as guidance for state and local requirements, adoption will vary by state and local governments.

These safety changes were made to eliminate the likelihood of small child entrapment and injury.


ASME 17.1/CSA B44 are voluntary national safety standards developed by highly experienced professionals in the elevator industry.


The ASME 17.1 Residence Elevator subcommittee made a series of changes to the safety code for residential elevators that include the following design and installation modifications:

  1. Where swinging hoistway doors and either folding car doors or horizontally sliding car doors are used and both doors are in the fully closed position, the space between the hoistway door and the car door shall reject a 4" diameter ball at all points.

  2. The distance between the hoistway face of the hoistway doors and the hoistway edge of the landing sill shall not exceed ¾" for swinging doors.

  3. Folding car doors be designed and installed to withstand a force of 75 lbs. applied horizontally using a 4" diameter sphere at any location within the folds on the car door, without permanent deformation. The deflection shall not exceed ¾" and shall not displace the door from its guides or tracks. The force shall be applied while the door is in the fully closed position.

  4. Horizontally sliding car doors shall be designed and installed to withstand a force of 75 lbs. applied horizontally on an area 4" x 4" at right angles to and at any location on the car door or gate without permanent deformation. The deflection shall not exceed ¾" and shall not displace the door from its guides or tracks. The force shall be applied while the door is in the fully closed position.

The goal of these code compliance revisions was to address safety concerns, specifically those regarding the entrapment and injury of small children.