Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 3036 - Governors

(a) Governors Required and Location. Every elevator and every counterweight equipped with an approved type, governor-actuated safety device shall be equipped with an approved governor. See Design Section 3105 for details of approval of governors.

EXCEPTION: Counterweights excepted under Section 3035(d).

(1) Every type of governor hereafter installed shall be field tested before a permit to operate is issued. This test shall be witnessed by an authorized representative of the Division of Industrial Safety, or the division may accept reports of witnesses recognized as competent by the division.

(A) Where the tripping speed of the governor is not determined on the running test on each installation, it shall be separately determined by removing the governor rope and driving the governor by hand or by a motor in such a manner as to accurately determine the tripping speed.

(2) The governor shall be located where it cannot be struck by the car or counterweight in case of overtravel, and where there is adequate space for full movement of governor parts. The governor shall be readily accessible with adequate work space for resetting and maintenance. When the elevator driving machine is located over the hoistway, the governor shall be located above the floor over the hoistway.

(b) Tripping Speeds for Governors.

(1) Governors for car safeties shall be set to trip at overspeeds as follows:

(A) At not less than 115 percent of rated speed.

(B) At not more than the tripping speed listed opposite the applicable rated speed in Table No. 3036 B. Maximum tripping speeds for intermediate rated speeds shall be determined from Design Section Figure 3105 A. For rated speeds exceeding 1500 feet per minute, the maximum tripping speeds shall not exceed 120 percent of the rated speed.

TABLE 3036 B

Maximum Speeds in Feet-Per-Minute At Which Governor Trips and Governor Overspeed Switch Operates

Rated Speed	Max Governor Trip Speed		Max Speed at Which Governor Overspeed Switch Operates, Down
0-125..........................	..........................175		175	*
150..........................	..........................210		210	*
175..........................	..........................250		225
200..........................	..........................280		252
225..........................	..........................308		277
250..........................	..........................337		303
300..........................	..........................395		355
350..........................	..........................452		407
400..........................	..........................510		459
450..........................	..........................568		512
500..........................	..........................625		563
600..........................	..........................740		703
700..........................	..........................855		812
800..........................	..........................970		921
900..........................	..........................1085		1031
1000..........................	..........................1200		1140
1100..........................	..........................1320		1254
1200..........................	..........................1440		1368
1300..........................	..........................1560		1482
1400..........................	..........................1680		1596
1500..........................	..........................1800		1710

* Governor Overspeed Switch not Required on Car Governors.

(2) Governors, where provided, for counterweight safeties shall be set to trip at an overspeed greater than, but not more than 10 percent above, that at which the car governor is set to trip.

(c) Sealing and Painting of Governors. Governors shall have their means of speed adjustment sealed after test. If governors are painted after sealing, all bearing and rubbing surfaces shall be kept free or freed of paint and a hand test made to determine that all parts operate freely as intended. Seals shall be of a type which will prevent readjustment of the governor tripping speed without breaking the seal. Whenever the seal is broken, the governor shall be rechecked and set for the proper tripping speed.

(d) Governor Overspeed and Car Safety Mechanism Switches.

(1) A switch shall be provided on the governor, and operated by the overspeed action of the governor, when used with Type B and C car safeties of elevators having a rated speed exceeding 150 feet per minute and on all elevators with static controls. A switch shall be provided on the governor when used with counterweight safeties at any car speed. When operated the switch shall cause power to be removed from the hoist machine motor and brake.

EXCEPTIONS:

1. Existing elevators with traction type machines installed before June 5, 1947, which are provided with a car safety mechanism switch.

2. Elevators with drum type machines installed before June 5, 1947.

(2) Every car safety shall be provided with a switch operated by the car safety mechanism when the safety is applied.

EXCEPTIONS:

1. Existing elevators with drum-type machines.

2. Existing elevators with traction-type machines and sliding-type safety devices which are provided with a governor overspeed switch.

3. Counterweight safeties.

(3) The switches shall, when operated, remove power from the driving-machine motor and brake before or at the time of application of the safety.

(4) The setting of the car governor overspeed switch when used with static control shall be at no more than 90% of the tripping speed of the governor and shall be activated in either direction of travel. The setting of the car governor overspeed switch for elevators with other types of control shall conform to the following:

(A) For rated speeds more than 150 feet per minute, up to and including 500 feet per minute, the car governor overspeed switch shall open in the down direction of the elevator at not more than 90 percent of the speed at which the governor is set to trip in the down direction.

(B) For rated speeds more than 500 feet per minute, the car governor overspeed switch shall open in the down direction of the elevator at not more than 95 percent of the speed at which the governor is set to trip in the down direction.

(C) The governor overspeed switch, when set as specified in either Section 3036(d)(4)(A) or Section 3036(d)(4)(B) shall open in the up direction at not more than 100 percent of the speed at which the governor is set to trip in the down direction.

EXCEPTIONS TO SECTION 3036(d)(4)(A) AND 3036(d)(4)(B):

The governor overspeed switch may be set to open in the down direction of the elevator at not more than 100 percent of the speed at which the governor is set to trip in the down direction, subject to the following requirements:

1. A speed-reducing switch is provided on the governor which will reduce the speed of the elevator in case of overspeed, and which shall be set to open as specified in Section 3036(d)(4)(A) and Section 3036(d)(4)(B).

2. Subsequent to the first stop of the car following the opening of the speed-reducing switch, the car shall remain inoperative until the switch is manually reset.

(5) The governor switches and safety mechanism switches shall conform to the following:

(A) Governor overspeed switches and speed-reducing switches required by Section 3036(d) shall be positively opened and shall remain in the open position until manually reset.

(B) Safety switches operated by the car safety mechanism shall be positively opened and shall not reset unless the car safety mechanism has been returned to the running position.

(e) Governor Ropes.

(1) Governor ropes shall be of iron, steel, monel metal, phosphor bronze, or stainless steel, of regular-lay construction, and shall be not less than 3/8 inch in diameter. Tiller-rope construction shall not be used, except to replace existing ropes of tiller-rope construction.

(2) Replacement of governor ropes shall be of the same size, material, and construction as the rope originally installed by the elevator manufacturer, except that a rope of the same size but of either different material or construction may be employed, provided a test is made of the car or counterweight safety and governor with the new rope to demonstrate that the safety will function as required by Section 3035(c).

(3) Whenever a governor rope is renewed, a running test of the safety device, with or without load, shall be conducted at not less than rated speed to demonstrate that the governor jaws or yoke properly grip the rope and that the safety device functions properly.

(4) Whenever wear, corrosion, broken wires, or other factors indicate that the governor rope has its breaking strength reduced materially below the manufacturer's rating, the rope shall be renewed. Governor ropes shall not be lengthened or repaired by splicing.

(5) A metal, fiber, or plastic tag or tags shall be securely attached to each governor rope. This data tag shall bear the following wire rope data:

(A) The diameter in inches.

(B) The manufacturer's rated breaking strength.

(C) The grade of material used.

(D) The month and year the ropes were installed and the safeties tested. (The safety test date may be indicated on a separate tag.)

(E) Whether nonpreformed or preformed.

(F) Construction classification.

(G) Name of the person or firm who installed the ropes.

(H) Name of the manufacturer of the rope.

(6) During normal operation of the elevator, the governor rope shall run free and clear of the governor jaws, rope guards, or other stationary parts.

(7) The governor rope shall be attached by an approved method such as babbitted sockets or crosby clips. The attachment shall develop a factor of safety of not less than 5 based on governor rope pull-through tension.

(f) Design of Governor Rope-Grip Jaws for Type B Safeties.

(1) Type B car and counterweight safeties shall be actuated by a governor equipped with rope-grip jaws which will permit the governor rope to pull through the jaws. The maximum tension in the governor rope to cause it to slip through the governor jaws shall not exceed ¹/₅ of the rated ultimate strength of the rope.

(2) Governor jaws shall be of such shape and minimum length that no appreciable damage to or deformation of the rope shall result from the stopping action of the jaws in operating the car or counterweight safety.

(3) Each governor shall be equipped with a rope gripping device which does not depend solely on springs for the application of the jaws to the ropes. Springs may be used to provide the tension between the governor rope and the jaws as required to set the safety.

(g) Design of Governor Sheaves and Traction Between Governor Rope and Sheave.

(1) The arc of contact between the governor rope and the governor sheave shall be at least 180 degrees. Governor ropes shall be provided with devices to maintain them in tension.

(2) Governor sheave grooves shall have machine-finished surfaces. Governor tension sheaves shall have machine-finished grooves for rated car speeds of more than 150 feet per minute. Machined governor sheave grooves shall have a groove diameter of not more than 1 1/8 times the diameter of the governor rope.

(3) The pitch diameter of governor sheaves and governor tension sheaves shall be not less than the product of the diameter of the rope and the applicable multiplier listed below, based on the rated speed and the number of strands in the rope.

Rated Speeds	Number of Strands		Multiplier
Two hundred feet per minute or less..........................	6		42
Two hundred feet per minute or less..........................	8		30
Over 200 feet per minute..........................	6		46
Over 200 feet per minute..........................	8		32

(h) Governor Marking Plate. A metal plate or plates shall be securely attached to each governor and shall be marked in a legible and permanent manner with letter and figures not less than 1/4 inch in height, indicating the following:

(1) The speed in feet per minute at which the governor is set and sealed to trip.

(2) The size, material, and construction of the governor rope on which the governor jaws were designed to operate.

(3) The manufacturer and identifying number of the governor.

(4) Pull-through tension settings of the governor jaws on governors used with Type B safeties.

Notes

Cal. Code Regs. Tit. 8, § 3036

1. Repealer of subsection (d)(1), new subsection (d)(1) and amendment of subsection (d)(4) filed 12-22-78; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 79, No. 1).
2. Editorial correction of subsections (d)(4) and (h) (Register 95, No. 26).

Note: Authority cited: Section 142.3, Labor Code.

1. Repealer of subsection (d)(1), new subsection (d)(1) and amendment of subsection (d)(4) filed 12-22-78; effective thirtieth day thereafter (Register 79, No. 1).
2. Editorial correction of subsections (d)(4) and (h) (Register 95, No. 26).
Group II regulations apply to existing elevators installed prior to October 25, 1998. Italicized paragraphs, sentences, or phrases apply to all existing elevators while non-italicized apply to elevators installed after 1970 or after the date the regulation was adopted.