Free checklist
Escalator annual maintenance checklist
The annual escalator service is the deep pass: the measurements, cleanings and tests a quarterly round doesn't reach. This checklist keeps the full service on record with the photos that make it defensible later. Work is commonly verified against ASME A17.1 safety code for elevators and escalators, manufacturer's published instructions. Confirm the edition your authority having jurisdiction has adopted.
- Items
- 5
- Photos required
- 7
- Built for
- Subcontractors
Who runs it
The facilities lead walking the annual service alongside the licensed elevator contractor and recording observations, while the contractor performs the code-required tests and adjustments.
When in the schedule
Once a year, timed to the elevator contractor's scheduled service so the pit and machine space are open and the safety devices are exercised while the unit is under their control.
The checklist
Every item, and the photo that proves it
The photo count on each row is what RTI would require before the item can be submitted. Copy the list as is, or load it into RTI and let the gate enforce it.
Safety devices exercised by the contractor
- 2 photos
Step, skirt and comb safety devices observed during the contractor's test
Skirt-obstruction, missing-step, comb-impact and handrail-entry devices exercised by the contractor and seen stopping the unit, results noted against what the contractor records.
- 1 photo
Broken-step-chain and speed governor checks observed
Contractor's checks of the step chain and overspeed governor witnessed, the unit seen shutting down on the intended fault rather than assumed.
Pit and machine space
- 2 photos
Pit and truss interior housekeeping observed
Pit and step-band area free of accumulated lint, debris and lost items, no oil pooling under the drive, access panels refitted after the contractor's work.
- 1 photo
Machine space, drive and lighting observed
Drive machine and controller free of leaks or scorching, machine-space lighting and the stop switch functional, nothing stored in the space.
Documentation
- 1 photo
Contractor findings and open items recorded on the building side
Any deficiency the contractor calls out logged with a photo and a date on the site record so it can be tracked to closure separate from the contractor's report.
What usually sends this back
The failures are almost always the evidence, not the work
- The contractor's test happens but nothing on the building side records which safety devices were exercised, so the site has no dated photo when the AHJ asks.
- Lint, wrappers and lost items built up in the pit and around the machine drive photographed as 'housekeeping' when it's a genuine fire and jam risk under the steps.
- A skirt-obstruction or missing-step device the contractor flags left unrecorded on the building's side, so the follow-up never gets tracked to closure.
Run it with the Photo Gate
A checklist nobody can submit half-finished
Load this list into RTI, stick a QR tag on the area it covers, and the submit button stays locked until every mandatory item is answered and the 7 required photos exist. Approved walks roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident record behind every line.
Submission state
The gate is enforced on the server, so it holds even if the phone is offline when the walk happens.
Verified against
Common questions
- What does this escalator annual checklist cover?
- 5 items across 3 sections, covering safety devices exercised by the contractor, pit and machine space, documentation. Each item spells out what the person walking the job is actually looking for, not just a box to tick.
- Who should run this inspection?
- The facilities lead walking the annual service alongside the licensed elevator contractor and recording observations, while the contractor performs the code-required tests and adjustments.
- When in the schedule should this walk happen?
- Once a year, timed to the elevator contractor's scheduled service so the pit and machine space are open and the safety devices are exercised while the unit is under their control.
- Why does every item ask for a photo?
- 7 of the 5 items call for photo evidence. A checklist answer without the photo is a claim; the photo is what makes the record worth something in a dispute and lets a reviewer approve work without re-walking the job.
- What most often fails a escalator annual inspection?
- The contractor's test happens but nothing on the building side records which safety devices were exercised, so the site has no dated photo when the AHJ asks. Lint, wrappers and lost items built up in the pit and around the machine drive photographed as 'housekeeping' when it's a genuine fire and jam risk under the steps. A skirt-obstruction or missing-step device the contractor flags left unrecorded on the building's side, so the follow-up never gets tracked to closure.
- Can I use this checklist in RTI?
- Yes. Start a free RTI workspace, build this list as a checklist, and the Photo Gate holds the submit button until every mandatory item is answered and its photos are attached. Approved inspections roll into a branded turnover package with a tamper-evident audit trail.
Related checklists
2642 items and 4211 photo requirements in total.