Elevators, escalators and moving walks are the safest form of transportation. Each day in the U.S. and Canada this equipment moves the equivalent of double the entire U.S. and Canadian population - over 210 billion passengers each year. Very few accidents happen and most of these can be avoided.

Ever since man has built multi-story structures there has been a demand for a means to move people and material to the upper stories. Evidence of such means goes back to ancient Roman time and before. The elevator is not an invention but a development and any platform that is moved by mechanical means in a guided path can be called an elevator.

The "Safety Elevator" as it was called was the invention of Elijah Otis who demonstrated a device (safety brake) to prevent the fall of the platform if the hoisting rope broke. This was in 1853 and, even though there were many "elevators" before then, Otis' invention and its publicity made the public aware of the need for increased safety. Hoisting ropes were often of fiber and prone to failure. More developments followed and as building became taller due to both the availability of safe elevators and newer construction techniques such as steel framing, elevators started to assume the appearance we see today. Enclosed hoistways were added as were landing doors and car gates. Speed increased necessitating the need for improved control as well as safety devices to prevent overspeeding and encounters with the upper and lower extremes of travel. The dramatic change came when electric power was introduced to replace the former steam driven hoisting equipment.

Little regulation was apparent in the early twentieth century. Many of the former, open and relatively, unsafe elevators still existed and insurance companies often excluded benefits resulting in accidents or death from riding in elevators. As public acceptance grew and more and more people concentrated in downtown areas, regulations were developed much in the direction of licensing and certifying elevator operators.

The development of a safety code for elevators was started before World War I and then interrupted until about 1921 when the first edition of the A17 Safety Code for Elevators was published. It contained provisions for locking landing doors, safety equipment for the car to prevent falling and excessive speed, limit switches at the extremes of travel among other provisions. It was revised in 1925 and was adopted as an "American Standard" in 1931 as many jurisdictions as well as insurance companies insisted upon compliance with its provisions. Since that time it has undergone numerous changes and additions starting as a 25 or so page pamphlet and evolving its fourteenth edition in 1993 with over 350 pages.

Since 1937 thirty nine editions and supplements to the code have been issued and, for the past 18 years a new edition appears every three years and supplements are issued annually. The present title is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators an American National Standard. This is the base document and it is accompanied by A17.2 which is a guide for inspecting elevators and A17.3 which is a recommended code for existing elevators. This later is necessary since most codes, not only elevator, are seldom retroactive and a guide for minimum safety considerations is considered necessary given the fact that elevators up to one hundred years old are still in every day use.

Code rules are enforced by local jurisdictions through building departments, private inspectors and the elevator companies themselves. Safety violations can result in fines and, in extreme cases, shutting the equipment down. Most inspectors are members of the National Association of Elevator Safety Authorities (NAESA) and are certified as Qualified Elevator Inspectors (Q.E.I.).

In the past 150 years, technology has come a long way. Elevators falling due to rope breakage is unheard of since modern elevators are supported by multiple steel ropes each one with a safety factor of five or more. Electric operations are monitored by modern microprocessors that serve to ensure the ride is safe. A trip on an elevator servicing about six to a hundred stories is by a traction elevator whereas a low rise building may have a hydraulic elevator supported by a steel column and oil pressure.

Mishaps on elevators become knowledge that is fed back to the code committees who will respond if a new hazard is apparent. Over 250 people volunteer their time to update and ensure that the A17 code reflects the latest in safety technology. The A17 Main Committee oversees and directs the activity of about thirty five "working committees" who are specialists in their segments. Proposed rules are reviewed by the National Interest Review Committee which includes representatives from all aspects of building operation and, before a rule is made, the public has an opportunity to offer its input.

There are at least 600,000 passenger elevators in the US and each carries an estimated average of 225,000 people in a year or nearly 120 billion passengers annually. That means that elevators move a little more than the entire US population every day.

Moving this many people on an electrical mechanical machine that frequently, cannot be done without an occasional mishap. Young children and the elderly are sometimes involved. Since the industry has no way to reach children on a consistent basis, the industry joined together to form the Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation. It is supported by individuals and companies inside and outside the industry. The sole purpose of the Foundation is contained in its Mission Statement which is, "To educate the general public on the safe and proper use of elevators, escalators and moving walks through informational programs".

The Foundation acknowledges the contributions of George R. Strakosch to the above article.