Elevator Safety & Licensing Resources
Explore key Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) resources for elevator safety and licensing, plus industry reference materials on the codes and standards that govern elevator and escalator work.
Reach official TDLR forms and reports straight from the links listed below.
- TDLR Elevator Forms – Official safety and licensing forms from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
- TDLR Elevator Reports – Safety and licensing reports from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
Industry Reference Links
The links above take you to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) for elevator safety and licensing forms and reports. The glossary below also points to organizations that publish the codes and standards behind elevator and escalator work, such as ASME, ANSI, the ADA, and BOMA.
- ASME – American Society of Mechanical Engineers, publisher of the A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators.
- ADA – Americans with Disabilities Act, ensuring equal opportunity for persons with disabilities.
- ANSI – American National Standards Institute, overseeing voluntary consensus standards.
- BOMA – Building Owners and Managers Association, providing information on office building development and standards.
Glossary of Terms
Look up elevator and escalator terminology by letter range.
- A-C
- D-F
- G-I
- J-L
- M-O
- P-R
- S-U
- V-Z
A-C Terms
A17.1
Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators as established by ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers). ASME was founded to promote the art, science & practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe. A17.1 covers the design, construction, operation, inspection, testing, maintenance, alteration, and repair of the following equipment, its associated parts, and its hoistways, where located in or adjacent to a building or structure: (a) hoisting and lowering mechanisms, equipped with a car or platform, which move between two or more landings. This equipment includes, but is not limited to, elevators; (b) power driven stairways and walkways for carrying persons between landings. This equipment includes, but is not limited to escalators and moving walks; (c) hoisting and lowering mechanisms equipped with a car which serves two or more landings and is restricted to the carrying of material by its limited size or limited access to the car. This equipment includes, but is not limited to, dumbwaiters and material lifts.
ADA
Americans with Disabilities Act. Ensures equal opportunity for persons with disabilities. Includes employment, State and local government services, public accommodations, commercial facilities, and transportation, and requiring the establishment of TDD/telephone relay services.
Alarm Bell
A bell operated by a push button in an elevator car. It is mounted either in a hoistway or adjacent to a landing where it may be heard at any time to call attention to the need for assistance in the elevator.
ANSI
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) is a private non-profit organization that oversees the development of voluntary consensus standards for products, services, processes, systems, and personnel in the United States. The organization also coordinates U.S. standards with international standards so that American products can be used worldwide. For example, standards ensure that people who own cameras can find the film they need for that camera anywhere around the globe.
Arrival Gong
An Audible "Gong" noise to notify you when the car arrives.
Arrival Light
A visual indicator light that notifies you when the car arrives.
Auto Lights
The cab lights can be wired to turn on only when the elevator is called and these will turn off by a timer.
AC
Alternating Current (a type of power for an elevator machine).
Acceleration
A period which the elevator moves at an ever increasing rate of speed, usually referring to that period from standstill to full speed.
AC System
A control system for an AC motor which has a single synchronous speed or two different synchronous speeds.
BABBITT
A soft metal used to fill scratching of a plunger surface. It is also used to secure hoist ropes to shackles.
BAKED ENAMEL
An enamel paint that must be baked to adhere to the surface.
Balustrade
The side of an escalator extending above the steps. It includes skirt panels, interior panels, decks and handrails.
BOLSTER
The bottom member of a sling for a hydraulic elevator.
BOMA
Building Owners and Managers Association, an international professional association that provides information on office building development, leasing, building operating costs, energy consumption patterns, local and national building codes, legislation, occupancy statistics and technological developments. BOMA publishes standards for measuring office space, lobbies on behalf of the commercial real estate industry, and hosts conventions. The industry guidelines published by BOMA are referred to as "BOMA Standards."
BRACKETS (GUIDE RAIL)
The device used to attach the rails firmly to the hoistway.
BRAKE
An electro-mechanical device used to prevent the elevator from moving when the car is at rest and no power is applied to the hoist motor. On some types of control, it also stops the elevator when power is removed from the hoist motor with a spring-loaded clamping device that holds the elevator car when the machine is turned off.
BRAKE DRUM
A round, machined surface on the motor shaft, which the brake clamps.
BRAKE SHOE
Moving member(s) of a brake, lined with friction material which, when in contact with the brake drum, holds the elevator at floor level. On some types of control, it will stop the elevator when power is removed from the hoist motor.
BRUSH
A device, usually of carbon or graphite composition, used to connect a circuit with the rotating or moving portion of a DC motor, generator or other electrical device. It carries current to and from the non-moving parts of connections.
BUFFER
A device designed to stop a descending car or counterweight beyond its normal limit of travel by storing or by absorbing and dissipating the kinetic energy of the car or counterweight.
BRASS STRIKE
The surface within the cab, which is met by the closed gate, is known as the strike. The particular finish or color of wall material chosen by the designer could be stainless, brass or plastic laminate.
CAB
The decorative room in which people ride in a passenger elevator.
CABLE (ROPE)
Usually 4 to 6 in number, it is used to support the car and (passing over the drive sheave to the counterweight) pull the car.
CABLE WRAP
That amount of the drive sheave actually in contact.
CALLBACK
In contract elevator service, a customer request which requires a check of an elevator other than the regularly scheduled maintenance.
CALL CANCELLATION
The circuitry that clears a registered call using selector switching, hoistway switches, or moveable brushes or contacts.
CAPACITY
Indicates the amount of weight a given elevator is able to support safely.
CAR (ELEVATOR)
The load-carrying unit, including its platform, frame, enclosure, and car door or gate.
CAR COUNTERWEIGHT
A set of weights roped directly to the elevator car of a winding-drum type installation. In practice, this weight is equal to approximately 70 percent of the car weight.
CAR OPERATING PANEL
A panel mounted in the car containing the car operating controls, such as call register buttons, door open and close, alarm, emergency stop and whatever other buttons or key switches are required for operating.
CAR OPERATION STATION
A panel mounted in the car containing the car operating controls, such as call register buttons, door open and close, alarm emergency stop and whatever other buttons or key switches are required for operation.
CAR RIDING LANTERN
A fixture mounted in either the entry column, soffit or back wall which shows the direction of car travel.
CAR TOP INSPECTION STATION
A control panel on top of an elevator car which, when activated, removes the car from normal service and allows the car to run at inspection speed from the car top station only.
CENTER OPENING DOORS
A door type, which consists of two horizontal sliding panels, which move in opposite directions.
CLUTCH
A device used in elevator power door operation to engage the car door to the landing door by a grasping and holding movement.
CODE
A system of regulations pertaining to the design, manufacture, installation and maintenance of elevators, dumbwaiters, escalators and moving walks. The most widely recognized and used is ANSI A-17.1 sponsored by the National Bure
Quick Actions
Whether you need official TDLR paperwork or a quick reference to the codes behind elevator and escalator work, this page gathers the sources in one place. Use the glossary to look up industry terminology by letter range, and follow the reference links to the organizations that publish the standards.