Elevator and lift maintenance in school and campus facilities is governed by ASME A17.1 for elevators and escalators and ASME A18.1 for wheelchair lifts and inclined platform lifts — both requiring a structured programme of monthly periodic inspections, annual Category 1 safety tests, and five-year Category 5 full-load tests, each performed by a licensed elevator inspector and resulting in a signed inspection report. Missing a required test category does not just create a documentation gap — in most US states it requires the elevator to be taken out of service until the overdue test is completed and certified, producing both an ADA access violation and an operational disruption. This checklist organises every required inspection task by equipment type and ASME category — use it to structure your elevator PM programme and connect each item to an OxMaint work order that notifies your licensed contractor 30 days before each test deadline.
OxMaint · Checklist · School Elevator & Lift Inspection · ASME A17.1 Compliance
School Elevator and Lift Maintenance Inspection Checklist
Passenger elevators · freight elevators · wheelchair lifts · platform lifts · dumbwaiters · automatic doors — ASME A17.1 and A18.1 compliance inspection checklist for school and campus buildings.
How to Use This Checklist
1Items with amber background are code-required under ASME A17.1 or A18.1 — these require a licensed elevator inspector and a signed inspection report. Facility staff visual checks are separate from and do not replace required category tests.
2Frequency badges: M Monthly Q Quarterly A Annual (Cat 1) 3-Yr Category 3 5-Yr Category 5
3Load into OxMaint — every category test deadline tracked per car; licensed contractor scheduled 30+ days before each due date; signed inspection reports stored in asset record for state inspector and OCR review.
Traction Elevators (MRL & Geared)
ASME A17.1 Rule 8.6
Hydraulic Elevators (Direct & Holeless)
ASME A17.1 Rule 8.6
Wheelchair Lifts & LULA Lifts
ASME A18.1 — ADA critical path equipment
Wheelchair lift failure in an ADA critical-path building constitutes an ADA violation for every hour it remains out of service. Target 24-hour response and repair. Document failure time, response time, and return-to-service time for every outage.
Inclined Platform Lifts (Stairlifts)
ASME A18.1
Automatic Door Operators (ADA Accessible Entry)
ANSI A156.10 / ADA 404.2
Freight Elevators & Dumbwaiters
ASME A17.1 Part 2 & Part 7
Never Miss an ASME Test Deadline — OxMaint Schedules Licensed Contractors 30 Days Early
OxMaint tracks every Category 1, 3, and 5 test deadline per car. Licensed contractor work orders auto-generate 30–45 days before each due date. Signed inspection reports stored per asset for state elevator inspector, OCR, and ADA documentation — all in one export.
Monthly periodic inspections (facility log), annual Category 1 (no-load safety device tests), Category 3 (partial load — typically every 3 years), and Category 5 (full rated load — every 5 years). Each requires a licensed elevator inspector and a signed inspection report. The posted certificate of operation must be updated after Cat 1 and Cat 5 tests.
In most US states, an elevator with an overdue category test must be removed from service until the overdue test is completed, the inspector signs the report, and a new certificate of operation is issued. This is both an ADA access violation for the period of outage and a potential insurance coverage gap for any incidents occurring during that period.
Monthly function tests (full travel, gate, safety, call controls), quarterly lubrication and brake tests, annual Category 1 inspection by a licensed inspector with signed report, and Category 5 full load test every five years. Wheelchair lifts are the most under-maintained accessibility asset in most school inventories — yet have identical ADA failure consequences to full passenger elevators.
ANSI A156.10 requires automatic door opening force not to exceed 5 lbf (pounds-force). This must be measured with a calibrated force gauge and documented at least quarterly. Safety reversal must activate before door contact force exceeds 15 lbf. These are among the most common ADA compliance failures found in OCR school investigations.
OxMaint tracks each elevator car's full inspection history and auto-generates a licensed contractor work order 30–45 days before each ASME category test deadline — so no deadline is deferred and no contractor is called reactively on the day a certificate lapses. Signed reports are stored per car in the asset record for state inspector and OCR access.
