Twists and turns of the stairway chairlift (Activity Report)

Easy at first glance

Several factors have made the inclined stairway chairlift project seem like it would be easy. They include:

1. Two experienced vendors recommended the same make/model for our particular needs (Bruno Elite Curved), which they selected from among their broader (and fortunately overlapping) product lines.
2. As I have noted, that particular model is well established and well regarded. It is available with a commercial-grade package of safety features and controls.
3. Installation of that model is normally completed in a single day. The installer fits together the pieces of track, and then bolts the track’s footings to the stair treads. Done!

Below the jump, this post enumerates the much longer list of factors that have made the project difficult.…

State regulations that apply to a stairway chairlift (Background Report)

INSTALLING A STAIRWAY CHAIRLIFT in a non-residential venue like Mishkon’s sanctuary building turns out to be much more complicated than in a private residence—even though the equipment would be exactly the same. The difference? It’s a matter of state law.

In order to make sense of a recent, cryptic email message from the City’s chief elevator inspector, today I read over the relevant provisions in the California Labor Code (namely, Division 5. Safety in employment. Part 3. Safety on buildings. Chapter 2. Elevators, Escalators, Platform and Stairway Chair Lifts,…and Other Conveyances [7300 - 7324.2]). 

I learned that the City’s elevator inspection folks are simply doing their best to follow state law. (Previously I had the impression that the LADBS was idiosyncratic in its regulation of stairway chairlifts — that it treated them as strictly as elevators whereas most other municipalities did not. However, that’s not correct.) It is the California Labor Code that covers the installation and inspection of stairway chairlifts. I.e., the L.A. Dept. of Building & Safety merely acts as the agent of the state’s Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA (ref.: Labor Code section 7310).

The following state regulations apply in our case.

Labor Code section 7301.1 

The applicant for a [stairway chairlift] permit under this section shall … hold a current elevator contractor’s license issued pursuant to Chapter 9 (commencing with Section 7000) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code; [and] be a certified qualified conveyance company; [and] submit proof of [certain] types of insurance coverage.… 

Labor Code section 7301 

No [stairway chairlift] shall be operated in this state unless a permit for its operation is issued … in behalf of the division, and unless the permit remains in effect and is kept posted conspicuously on the conveyance. Operation of a conveyance without a permit or failure to post the permit conspicuously shall constitute cause for the division to prohibit use of the conveyance….

Labor Code section 7302 

The operation of a conveyance without a permit by any person owning or having the custody, management, or control of the operation of the conveyance, is a misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000), imprisonment in the county jail for not more than 10 days, or by both that fine and imprisonment. Each day of operation for each conveyance without a permit is a separate offense. Any person who has requested the issuance or renewal of a permit if the request has not been acted upon by the division may not be prosecuted for a violation of this section.

I’m looking forward to discussing the state regulations with our chosen vendor, Look Stairchairs, when its owner returns to town on May 27. Because stairway chairlifts are a borderline case, the state’s qualifications for an installer are not clear to me. It will apparently come down to how the Cal/OSHA Elevator Unit interprets the code, as it would apply in our case.

Multiple modes are needed for full access to our building (Background Report)

NO SINGLE MODE of movement will work for all types of people to access all of our spaces. A mix of modes is needed, as this grid shows.

(As usual, click/tap on an image to enlarge it.)

Key to “Mobility type”:

• Walk and climb  =  Easily mobile; stairs are easy

• Walk, not climb  =  Bad knee/hip/ankle/back, or unsteady on feet; stairs are difficult

• Not walk or climb  =  Wheelchair; stairs are impossible

Entry accessibility plan for the sanctuary building (Activity Report)

AN ENTRY ACCESSIBILITY PLAN was required by the City as a prerequisite for doing renovations. Happily, ours has now taken shape. On October 23, our architect presented the draft plan to a civil engineer on the disability access team at the Department of Building & Safety (LADBS). She said that the concept seemed workable, given our needs and constraints. That not only clears the way for the planned restroom renovations, but also sets the course for significant accessibility improvements.

Below the jump, this post lays out our plan.… 

Has the board approved a full (wraparound) stairlift?

ANSWERING THAT QUESTION is a complex endeavor, because of the indirect way that the approval came about. The short answer is Yes: the board approved two related motions in February that together constitute approval of a full stairlift. One motion approved its upper half, and the other motion approved its lower half. 

What has puzzled some board members is the fact that the stairlift was not mentioned explicitly in the wording of either motion.

Below the jump, this post explains how it all came together.…

Mishkon engages architect for Phase 1 of multi-year renovations (Activity Report)

MISHKON SIGNED A CONTRACT in May with KCK Architects, an accomplished historic preservation firm, to oversee Phase 1 of renovations in our historic sanctuary building. After meeting with representatives of seven firms, I recommended this one as the best suited for our needs among those available to undertake our project.

The planned work is to be carried out in several phases over a period of 3–4 years. The only phase we have contracted for at present is the first one, which includes restroom remodeling (lobby level), lobby reno­vation, and the siting/integration of a possible elevator, within the context of an overall entry accessibility plan. Fu­ture phases are subject to approval by the board and/or B&G Committee.

Below the jump, this post discusses the background, the need, and the architect’s services to be performed—with brief status notes as we near the 6-month mark.…

Update on the stairlift (Draft Proposal)

AS OUR ARCHITECT prepares to meet with City officials next month to discuss our entry accessibility plan, it is timely to revisit the stairlift component—which was introduced HERE (Feb. 12) and updated HERE (May 8). 

Again, the overall goal is to ease the entry to (and exit from) our sanctuary building for people who find stairs difficult. Our doing so is required in order to get building per­mits to make further alterations to the facility, such as expanded restrooms.

Below the jump, I give updates on three aspects: recommended equipment, cost, and the permitting experience of a nearby church.

Stairlift for accessibility to sanctuary from Main Street: Further thoughts (Draft Proposal)

SINCE FEBRUARY, when I proposed that we install a stairlift in our historic sanctuary building’s front stairwell (a move that shortly thereafter was independently suggested to me by Ed Geil), I have spoken with several more vendors of stairlifts. In the process, I have learned a few things.

Below the jump, I share the two biggest lessons learned, and their implications.…

Improving entry accessibility to sanctuary: Main Street side (Draft Proposal)

STAIRS POSE A CHALLENGE to many of our members and visitors. One option to increase accessibility is to install a stairlift. The prime location for a stairlift is in the front stairwell of the sanctuary building, between the street-level doors to Main Street and the lobby level. 

Below the jump, this post discusses a stairlift for that section of stairs, based upon my meeting with one vendor (for orientation).…