In a brief meeting with all company personnel, Maintenance Supervisor, Dan M., outlined the policy for the use of jumper wires on elevator equipment. All field technicians were issued bright blue cases containing a numbered set of also brightly colored jumper wires.
Best-practice Standards
The policy, which is based on industry-wide best-practice standards, requires that each mechanic use only those jumpers provided by the company. S/he must also be able to account for all of the assigned jumpers at any given time. Jumpers must be inspected for damage with each use, and any such damage reported immediately.
Employee cooperation
The field employees seemed to agree readily to the policy, and to appreciate it’s enforcement. The use of temporary circuit jumper wires is necessary to perform repairs and maintenance on elevator equipment. However, when used improperly or if left in place, a jumper can also lead to hazardous situations for workers and the riding public.
Power Unit and Controller
Proper use of jumper wires
Bud Johnson, writing for Elevator World, recommends that mechanics use signs on machine room doors as reminders to remove all jumpers before exiting. On construction sites, jumpers may have to be left in place for longer periods of time. In this case, workers should maintain a list of all jumpers. When a jumper is removed, it should also be removed from the list. Jumpers should never be used as diagnostic tools where a meter can more safely accomplish the same task. Furthermore, jumper wires should not be used in such a way as to resemble permanent wiring. They should be brightly colored, extra-long and should have a jumbled appearance. Finally, mechanics must be trained to understand the effect that jumpers will have on the entire elevator unit before placing them in use.
Sources:
Bud Johnson. “Toolbox Meeting – JUMPERS” www.elevatorjobsitesafety.com, Elevator World, Inc., 2017. Web. October 25, 2017.