BUILDING (ESCALATORS) REGULATIONS

BUILDING (ESCALATORS) REGULATIONS

BUILDING (ESCALATORS) REGULATIONS

ARRANGEMENT OF REGULATIONS

Regulation Page
1. Citation ... ... ... ... . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 2
2. Interpretation ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 2
3. Escalators to which Ordinance and regulations apply ... ... ... ... ... D 2
4. Certain escalators to be enclosed by walls. etc . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 3
5. Doors in walls walls enclosing escalator ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 3
6. Borrowed lights in walls enclosing escalator D 3
7. Escalator and machinery space to be enclosed ... ... ... ...

8. Access to escalator machinery space for inspection and maintenance ... ... D 3
9. Access panel to be provided ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 4
10. Truss and girders... ... ... . . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 4
11. Tracks for wheels of stairs... ... ... ... ... . . ... ... ... ... D 4
12. Factors of safety... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...D 4
13. Ventilation of space in which driving machine. etc. installed ... ... ... ... D 4
14. Illumination of machinery space. ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... D 4
15. Escalator to have balustrade ... . ... ... ... ... D 4
16. Balustrade to have hand rails ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 4
17. Prohibition of glass panels in balustrade... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 5
18. Width of escalator between balustrades ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 5

19. Stairs ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 5
20. Illumination of stairs ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 5
21. Tread surface of stairs to be slotted, etc. ... ... ... ... D 5
22. Combplates ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 5
23. Angle of inclination ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 5
24. Rated load ... .. ... ... ... . . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 6
25. Rate of speed ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 6
26. Starting switches ... ... ... ... . . ... ... ... ... ... ... D 6
27. Machine brakes ... ... ... ...... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 6

28. Governors ... ... ... ...---... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D6
29. Device to be provided in case step chain breaks ... ... ... ... ... ... D 6
30. Device to be provided in case drive chain breaks ... ... ... ... ... ... ... D 6
31. Emergency stop switches ... ... . ... ... ... ... ... ... ... . D6
32. Escalator to be an addition to staircases or means of escape in case of the etc. D 7





BUILDING (ESCALATORS) REGULATIONS

(Cap. 123, section 38)

[1 January 1960.]

1. These regulations may be cited as the Building (Escalators)
Regulations.

2. In these regulations, unless the context otherwise requires-

'compartment of a building' means any volume, or floor area in one
storey, in any building assessed as a unit for the purposes of
Table XVI in the Building (Construction) Regulations;

'elements of construction ' means any floor, beam or column;

'F.R.P.' means the period for which the element of construction is
capable of resisting the action of fire when tested in accordance
with British Standard Specification 476: 1932 or as specified in
the Third Schedule to the Building (Construction) Regulations;

-governor- means an automatic device which will cause the supply
of power to the driving machine of an escalator to be cut off in
the event of the escalator exceeding a predetermined safe speed;

-machine brake' means an automatic brake designed to stop an
escalator when a stop switch or the governor or the device
required by regulation 29 is operated,

-rated load' means the maximum load which an escalator is
designed to carry;

'rated speed- means the speed of an escalator measured along the
angle of inclination;

---stopswitch' means a switch so designed that, when operated, it will
cause the supply of power to the driving machine of an
escalator to be cut off.

3. The Ordinance and regulations shall apply to every escal-
ator other than-

(a)an escalator installed in any building belonging to the
Crown or to the Government;

(b)an escalator installed in any building upon any land vested
in any person on behalf of Her Majesty's naval. military or
air force services; and

(c)an escalator installed in any building which belongs wholly
to the government of a foreign country and which is used
exclusively or mainly for the purposes of the official
business of the consular officer of such government.





4.(1) (a) Save as provided in paragraph (2), every escal-
ator which serves more than one compartment of a buil-
ding or more than 2 floors of a building, shall be enclosed
by walls.

(b)Every such wall shall have an F.R.P. of not less than the
longer period required for the elements of construction in
any compartment of the building so served or for the
elements of construction of the compartment of the buil-
ding in which such floors are.

(2) Any such escalator need not be so enclosed where the
whole of the compartments or floors served thereby and the escal-
ator well are provided with an adequate sprinkler system.

5. Where a door is provided in any wall enclosing an escal-
ator, the door and the frame thereof shall have an F.R.P. of not less
than half an hour.

6. (1) Where borrowed lights are provided in any wall
enclosing an escalator-

(a)the area of such lights shall be not more than one-fifth of
the total area of the wall; and

(b)the lights shall be glazed with 6 mm wired glass or covered
with glass bricks or blocks.

(2) Where any such lights are glazed with wired glass-

(a)the area of any one pane of glass shall be not more than
0.35 m2; and

(b) the frame of the lights shall beconstructed of--
(i) hardwood, having no dimension, in section, less
than 44 mm; or
(ii) steel.

(3) Where any such lights are covered with glass bricks or
blocks-

(a) the area of the panels shall be not more than 3.5 m2 ; and

(b)there shall be provided, on eachside and on top thereof, an
expansion joint of not less than 10 mm.

7. The sides and undersides of every escalator and any space
in which machinery therefor is installed shall be enclosed by mater-
ials having an F.R.P. of not less than half an hour.

8. (1) A means of access shall be provided, for the purposes
of inspection and maintenance, to the interior of every escalator and
to any space in which machinery therefor is installed.

(2) Every such means of access shall be provided with a door
having an F.R.P. of not less than half an hour.





9. (1) There shall be provided, in the upper part of every
escalator, in a position approved by the Director of Fire Services, an
access panel.

(2) No dimension of any such panel shall be less than 225 mm.

10. The truss or girder of every escalator shall be-

(a)of sufficient strength to support the stairs and running gear
of the escalator when the same are in use; and

(b)such that, in the event of any failure of the track in which
the running gear operates, it will retain such gear in the
guides provided therefor.

11. The tracks, in which the wheels of the stairs of an escalator
run, shall be so designed as to prevent such stairs or the running gear
from becoming displaced in the event of the breaking of a step chain.

12. (1) The factor of safety for all structural members of
every escalator shall be not less than 5.

(2) The factor of safety for every part of the driving machine
of every escalator shall- VI

(a)if such part is constructed of steel or bronze, be not less
than 8; and

(b)if such part is constructed of cast iron or any other
material. be not less than 10.

(3) The factor of safety for the power transmission members
of every escalator shall be not less than 10.

(4) The factor of safety shall, in every case, be based on the
static load.

13. (1) Any space in which the driving machine or controls of
any escalator are installed shall be ventilated by means of a vent.

(2) The area of any such vent shall not exceed 0.2 M2.

14. (1) Any space in which any machinery provided for an
escalator 'Is installed shall be provided with adequate artificial
lighting.

(2) The switch by which such lighting is operated shall be
situated adjacent to the door provided to give access to such space.

15. Every escalator shall be provided, on each side of the stairs
thereof, with a solid balustrade which shall, on that side facing the
stairs of the escalator, be smooth and substantially without pro-
jections.

16. Every such balustrade shall be provided with a hand rail
which shall be so designed as to move in the same direction and at
substantially the same speed as the escalator.





17. No such balustrade shall have any glass panels therein
unless the glass is of a tempered or laminated type.

18. (1) Subject to the provisions of paragraph (2), the width
between the balustrades of any escalator shall. at a level 700 mm
above the nose line of the tread surface of the stairs of the escalator,
be not less than 600 mm nor more than 1 250 mm.

(2) The width at such level shall not, in any case. exceed the
width between the balustrades, at the level of the tread surface of the
stairs, by more than 330 mm.

19. (1) Every stair of an escalator shall be such that the width,
in the direction of travel, from the face of one riser to the face of the
next riser, is not less than 400 mm.

(2) The rise of any such stair shall be not more than 215 mm.

(3) The width of any such stair shall be not less than 400 mm.

(4) The clearance between every 2 such stairs shall be such
that, on the horizontal run thereof, the distance between them is not
more than 4 mm.

20. (1) The stairs of every escalator shall be illuminated
throughout their travel.

(2) The intensity of the light on the tread surface of the stairs
shall be not less than 55 Ix.

21. (1) The tread surface of every stair of an escalator shall be
slotted in a direction parallel with the direction in which the
escalator travels.

(2) Every such slot shall be not more than 7 mm in width and
not less than 10 mm in depth, and the distance from centre to centre
of adjoining slots shall be not more than 10 mm.

22. (1) There shall be provided, at the entrance to and exit
from every escalator, a combplate.

(2) Every such combplate shall be such that-

(a) it is adjustable both horizontally and vertically. and

(b)sections forming the same are readily removable in case of
emergency.

(3) The teeth of every combplate shall be so meshed with and
set into the slots of the tread surface of the stairs of the escalator that
the points of such teeth are always below the upper surface of such
tread surface.

23. No escalator shall have an angle of inclination exceeding
302 from the horizontal.





24. The rated load of every escalator shall be calculated by
means of the formula herein set out where W= the width of the stair
tread in metres and A=the horizontal distance in metres between
the teeth of the upper and lower combplates.

Rated load = 290 WA kg

25. The rate of speed of any escalator shall be not more than
0.65 m/s measured along the angle of inclination.

26. The starting switch of every escalator shall be-

(a) operated by a key; and

(b)situated in such a position that any person operating the
same is able to see the escalator.

27. (1) Every escalator shall be provided with a machine
brake.

(2) Every such brake shall be capable of stopping the escalator
with full rated load thereon.

28. (1) Every escalator shall be provided with a governor.

(2) The speed of the escalator at which the governor is
designed to operate shall, in no case. be more than 40 pep. cepit
greater than the rated speed of the escalator.

29. Every escalator shall be provided with an automatic device
which will cause the supply of power to the driving machine of the
escalator to be cut ofT in the event of the breaking of a step chain.

30. Where the driving machine of an escalator is connected to
the main drive shaft by means of a chain, there shall be provided an
automatic device which will cause the brake provided for such shaft
to be applied in the event of the breaking of the chain.

31. (1) Every escalator shall be provided with stop switches
for use on occasions of emergency.

(2) One such stop switch shall be situated at or near the upper
landing of the escalator and the other at or near the lower landing
thereof.

(3) Every such stop switch shall-

(a) be operated by means of a button;

(h)be such that the driving machine of the escalator cannot be
started thereby; and

(e)have clearly marked thereon, in English and Chinese, the
words---STOPSWITCH---.





32. (1) Where an escalator is installed in any building, it shall
be in addition to-

(a)any staircase required by regulation 39 of the Building
(Planning) Regulations; and

(b)the means of escape in case of fire and second staircase
required by regulation 41 of the Building (Planning)
Regulations.

(2) An escalator shall not be a staircase, passage or other
normal means of egress for the purposes of regulation 43 of the
Building (Planning) Regulations.
G.N.A. 79/59. G.N.A. 80/59. G.N.A. 107/59. L.N. 152/71. L.N. 11/75. L.N. 294/76. L.N. 359/80. Citation. Interpretation. (Cap. 123, sub. leg.) L.N. 152/71. L.N. 11/75. Escalators to which Ordinance and regulations apply. G.N.A. 80/59, r. 4. Certain escalators to be enclosed by walls, etc. Doors in walls enclosing escalator. Borrowed lights in walls enclosing escalator. L.N. 294/76. Escalator and machinery space to be enclosed. G.N.A. 107/59. Access to escalator machinery space for inspection and maintenance. Access panel to be provided. L.N. 294/76. Truss and girders. Tracks for wheels of stairs. Factors of safety. Ventilation of space in which driving machine, etc. installed. L.N. 294/76. Illumination of machinery space. Escalator to have balustrade. Balustrade to have hand rails. Prohibition of glass panels in balustrade. L.N. 359/80. Width of escalator between balustrades. L.N. 294/76. L.N. 259/80. Stairs. L.N. 294/76. Illumination of stairs. L.N. 294/76. Tread surface of stairs to be slotted, etc. L.N. 294/76. Combplates. Angle of inclination. Rated load. L.N. 294/76. Rate of speed. L.N. 294/76. Starting switches. Machine brakes. Governors. Device to be provided in case step chain breaks. Device to be provided in case drive chain breaks. Emergency stop switches. Escalator to be an addition to staircases or means of escape in case of fire, etc. (Cap. 123, sub. leg.)

G.N.A. 79/59. G.N.A. 80/59. G.N.A. 107/59. L.N. 152/71. L.N. 11/75. L.N. 294/76. L.N. 359/80. Citation. Interpretation. (Cap. 123, sub. leg.) L.N. 152/71. L.N. 11/75. Escalators to which Ordinance and regulations apply. G.N.A. 80/59, r. 4. Certain escalators to be enclosed by walls, etc. Doors in walls enclosing escalator. Borrowed lights in walls enclosing escalator. L.N. 294/76. Escalator and machinery space to be enclosed. G.N.A. 107/59. Access to escalator machinery space for inspection and maintenance. Access panel to be provided. L.N. 294/76. Truss and girders. Tracks for wheels of stairs. Factors of safety. Ventilation of space in which driving machine, etc. installed. L.N. 294/76. Illumination of machinery space. Escalator to have balustrade. Balustrade to have hand rails. Prohibition of glass panels in balustrade. L.N. 359/80. Width of escalator between balustrades. L.N. 294/76. L.N. 259/80. Stairs. L.N. 294/76. Illumination of stairs. L.N. 294/76. Tread surface of stairs to be slotted, etc. L.N. 294/76. Combplates. Angle of inclination. Rated load. L.N. 294/76. Rate of speed. L.N. 294/76. Starting switches. Machine brakes. Governors. Device to be provided in case step chain breaks. Device to be provided in case drive chain breaks. Emergency stop switches. Escalator to be an addition to staircases or means of escape in case of fire, etc. (Cap. 123, sub. leg.)

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