Wind Tower Service Lift Maintenance – What TSSA Requires of You
Doug Guderian
Keeping a wind tower service lift in compliance with Ontario’s regulations can sometimes be challenging. Understanding and navigating what TSSA requires is not always a simple task especially for those who are un familiar with the TSSA. However a quality Elevator Contractor with wind tower service lift experience should be able to help with the process.
We will start with the assumption that the service lifts have been initially inspected and licenced by a TSSA (Technical Standards and Safety Authority) inspector. The lift will then have a TSSA installation number which should be on a metal tag which is posted in the lift car. This tag indicates that TSSA has the elevating device registered in their system.
TSSA Requirements
The owner of the lift should expect to pay TSSA every year for the annual licensing fee of $100 per lift. The actual annual licence is then mailed to the owner and should be posted in the service lift car. In addition to this annual licencing fee, approximately every 3 years, there is a periodic inspection fee of $130 per hour when the inspection takes place. The inspections involve having a TSSA inspector visit each lift. The inspections typically take 1 to 2 hours per service lift depending on travelling time and ease of access to the actual devices.
Maintenance Requirements
Every service lift must have a maintenance agreement in place with an elevator contractor who is registered with TSSA in Ontario and who employs EDM-A licenced elevator mechanics. All regular maintenance, repairs and alterations must be performed by licenced mechanics. The elevator contractor will provide an elevator logbook which must be used to record all maintenance, repairs and replacements. This logbook must be available at the wind turbine of every service lift.
Inspection Frequency
The minimum inspection frequency in Ontario is annually unless the service lift manufacturer recommends more frequent inspections. There are numerous tasks with varying frequencies detailed within the service lift manufacturer’s service manuals and in the Elevator Safety Code, ANSI A17.1/B44-2013 section 5.11 and in sections 8.6.7.11.1-3. One of the more noteworthy requirements from the safety code is the requirement for an annual full-load safety test.
