NEII Insider 2023: Edition 7

Disability Awareness in July

July 26, 2023 marked the 33rd anniversary of the Americans with Disability Act and, appropriately, July is known as Disability Pride Month.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 21 percent of women with disabilities and 25.5 percent of men with disabilities are in the labor force. Policies like paid sick days, flexible scheduling and accessible and affordable childcare help people with disabilities obtain and keep good quality jobs.

The U.S. Department of Labor provides several valuable resources to help people with disabilities in the workforce:

The Americans with Disabilities Act
FMLA: Providing Flexibility for Changing Needs, Then and Now
The Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy
Disability employment statistics

Every day, the elevator industry makes the world more accessible for all people. As a society, continuing to promote equality of opportunities for all is critical to preserve the rights of millions of Americans with disabilities to live with dignity and respect. NEII’s infographic on Super Mobility highlights the fact that each year, ADA-compliant elevators and escalators in the U.S. serve the 20.6 million adults that experience ambulatory difficulties. Find the complete infographic here.

Department of Labor Announces Rule Expanding Submission Requirements for Injury and Illness

The U.S. Department of Labor announced a final rule that require employers in designated high-hazard industries to electronically submit injury and illness information to the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The rule takes effect on January 1, 2024 and now includes the following submission requirements:

Establishments with 100 or more employees in certain high-hazard industries must electronically submit information from their Form 300-Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses, and Form 301-Injury and Illness Incident Report to OSHA once a year. These submissions are in addition to submission of Form 300A-Summary of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses.
To improve data quality, establishments are required to include their legal company name when making electronic submissions to OSHA.

Learn more: https://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping.

NEII's July piece in Elevator World: Still the One

NEII has submissions in every edition of Elevator World in 2023. Our most recent article was written by our Senior Director of Codes Kevin Brinkman. Read Still the One, in which NEII-1, the comprehensive document on building transportation standards and guidelines that has supported architects, engineers, building owners and elevator suppliers for decades. NEII-1 is a valuable resource, and we are excited to put a spotlight on the tool that is available to everyone.

Visit NEII-1 to learn more. Because NEII-1 is such a large file, you can request a copy directly from NEII's Senior Director of Codes Kevin Brinkman if you are interested.

Our August article is called Empire State of Mind and is written about navigating the building transportation environment in New York City. If you do not already receive Elevator World, you can get a subscription here.

Upcoming Recruitments

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

Currently, there are open recruitments in

July 5-August 5 in Syracuse, NY
July 19-August 17 in St. Louis, MO
July 19-August 18 in Albany, NY
July 28-August 11 in Nashville, TN
July 31-August 25 in Tulsa, OK
August 1-15 in Montana
August 1-31 in Omaha, NE

Upcoming recruitments:

August 11-31 in Memphis, TN
August 18-September 22 in Birmingham, AL
September 1-October 6 in Jacksonville, FL
October 15-30 in Lansing, MI

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 2022 edition is currently being prepared for publication which is tentatively scheduled for July 31, 2023. The effective date will be 6 months from the publication date. ASME works on a continuous process, so committees are developing changes for the 2025 edition. Proposals can be submitted at any time during the cycle. Any changes not approved during the cycle are carried over to the next cycle.

ICC International Building Code Series (I-Codes): ICC has released its schedule for the 2027 edition, including some changes to the procedures. They will hold two sets of committee hearings for each group of changes. Group A will be heard in 2024 and Group B in 2025. A joint Public Comment Hearing will be held in 2026. Proposed changes for Group A of the 2027 edition will be due by January 8, 2024. IBC General sections, including Chapter 30 on elevators, have been moved to Group B.

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 edition. There were over 250 proposals submitted and the committee has completed the first round of review. A committee ballot and public review period is currently open until July 31.

NFPA 70 National Electric Code – NFPA is now accepting proposals for changes for the 2026 edition. Proposals will be accepted until September 7, 2023.

NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and NFPA 5000 Building Construction and Safety Code – Changes for the 2024 editions are being finalized, including several proposals from NEII. Publication of the 2024 editions is expected later this year. Work on the 2027 edition will begin in 2024.

Change in Application Portal for New York State Elevator Licensing

Effective July 18, 2023, the current NYBE application portal for New York State elevator licensing will be shut down. All applications will be transferred to NY State Department of Labor's (DOL) Management System for Protecting Workers’ Rights (MPWR) portal. The MPWR portal will launch on July 26, 2023. During the period from July 18 to July 26, DOL will be unable to accept new applications.

DOL advises users to check their website for updated links to the new MPWR portal as they become available.