Clearance requirements between elevator doors for elevators inside a private residence.

(1) This section may be cited as the “Maxwell Erik ‘Max’ Grablin Act.”

(2) For elevators installed in a private residence:

(a) The distance between the hoistway face of the hoistway doors and the hoistway edge of the landing sill may not exceed 3/4 inch for swinging doors and 21/4 inches for sliding doors.

(b)1. Horizontal sliding car doors and gates shall be designed and installed to withstand a force of 75 pounds applied horizontally on an area 4 inches by 4 inches at right angles to and at any location on the car door without permanent deformation. The deflection may not exceed 3/4 inch and may not displace the door from its guides or tracks. The force must be applied while the door is in the fully closed position.

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

(c) The distance between the hoistway face of the landing door and the hoistway face of the car door or gate shall conform to one of the following:

1. If a power-operated horizontally sliding hoistway and car doors are used, the measurement between the leading edge of the doors or sight guard, if provided, may not exceed 4 inches. If it is possible for a user to detach or disconnect either door from the operator and such detachment or disconnection allows the user to operate the door manually, the requirement in subparagraph 5. applies.

2. If swinging hoistway doors and folding car doors are used and both doors are in the fully closed position, the space between the hoistway door and the folding door must reject a 4-inch-diameter sphere at all points.

3. If swinging hoistway doors and car gates are used, the space between the hoistway door and the car gate must reject a 4-inch-diameter sphere at all points.

4. If the car doors are powered and arranged so that they cannot be closed until after the hoistway door is closed, and the car doors automatically open when the car is at a landing and the hoistway door is opened, the measurement between the hoistway face of the hoistway door and the hoistway face of the car door at its leading edge may not exceed 4 inches. If it is possible for a user to detach or disconnect either door from the operator and such detachment or disconnection allows the user to operate the door manually, the requirement in subparagraph 5. applies.

5. If swinging or horizontally sliding hoistway doors and manual horizontally sliding car doors are used and both doors are in the fully closed position, the space between the swinging or horizontally sliding hoistway door and the manual horizontally sliding car doors must reject a 4-inch-diameter sphere at all points.

(3) During normal operation, the elevator controller must monitor the closed and locked contacts of the hoistway door locking device, whether electrical or mechanical. If the closed and locked contacts of the landing locks are open while the car is not in the unlocking zone for the hoistway door locking device, the elevator controller must interrupt power to the motor and brake and must not allow the elevator car to restart until the owner or the owner’s agent, with a master elevator key, has checked for obstructions above and below the elevator car, returned the hoistway door locking device contacts to the normal operating position, and manually reset the elevator controller with the master elevator key. Additionally, a visual indicator must be visible at all landings until the hoistway door locking device has been returned to the normal operating position and the elevator controller has been manually reset.

(4) This section applies to all new elevators in a private residence.