Proponent Testimony - Tim Moennich, HB 107 (Ohio House Commerce & Labor Committee, March 24, 2021)

Summary

Proponent testimony on HB 107 by Tim Moennich, National Coordinator of the Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund, before the Ohio House Commerce & Labor Committee, dated March 24, 2021. He states that he has over 40 years in the elevator industry and thanks Representative Baldridge for introducing HB 107. The testimony says there are 32 states that have conveyance safety laws and refers to an attached chart of states with similar legislation. Its conclusion says that by requiring licensing of elevator contractors and elevator mechanics and raising training and education standards, HB 107 helps address potential dangers associated with elevators and other conveyances.

Summary drafted by a model from the document's text below and checked by script against that text before publication. It is a navigation aid, not a reading of what the document proves. Where AI is used

Full text

                 Tim Moennich, National Coordinator
              Elevator Industry Work Preservation Fund
                   Proponent Testimony on HB 107
        before the Ohio House Commerce & Labor Committee
                           March 24, 2021

Good afternoon Chairman Stein, Vice Chairman Johnson, Ranking
Member Lepore-Hagan and members of the House Commerce and
Labor Committee.

My name is Tim Moennich and I am life long Ohioan with over 40 years
in the elevator industry. I am here today to testify as a proponent of HB
107.

I would like to thank Representative Baldridge for introducing HB 107.
As a National Coordinator with the Elevator Industry Work Preservation
Fund, as an elevator mechanic, former trustee of the Elevator Industry
Educational Program, and instructor for OSHA safety classes in the
elevator industry, I am experienced in advocating for conveyance safety
throughout the United States.

The EIWPF is a non-profit labor-management cooperation committee
that represents nearly 600 elevator manufacturing, maintenance and
repair companies and the International Union of Elevator Constructors,
which has approximately 25,000 workers in the elevator industry.
Our organization is committed to promoting public safety and the
general welfare of the elevator industry.

There are 32 states that have conveyance safety laws.
Ohio’s neighboring states such as, Kentucky, West Virginia, Michigan
and Indiana all have elevator safety laws like the Ohio Proposal.
Attached to my testimony is an updated chart encompassing the states
that have adopted similar legislation.
Conveyances can be very dangerous if not constructed, maintained and
repaired correctly.

Legislative bodies across the country recognize the need for additional
safety mechanisms pertaining to conveyance systems, as a result of the
loss of life due to malfunctions and human error.

In Ohio there have been 2 recent elevator related deaths: one involving
a firefighter and the other involving an elevator maintenance mechanic.
The goal of HB 107 is to protect public safety with respect to elevators
and other conveyances in Ohio.

From a public policy standpoint, there are many reasons to improve the
safety of elevators and other conveyances.

While the elevator industry is relatively safe when compared to other
areas of construction, when something does go wrong, the stakes are
high, and injuries can be very serious or even fatal.

The public policy implications of ensuring safe elevators and other
conveyances obviously do not stop at individuals working on or near
them, but also spills over to those members of the public – including
Ohio residents and visitors who ride on elevators and escalators every
day.

Protecting public safety through elevator safety laws is not a new
approach. As noted before, a majority of states in the U.S. have long
recognized the need to ensure public safety in the elevator industry,
and have adopted similar laws.

The elevator industry is a highly technical field and in order to be
proficient an Elevator Mechanic needs to have all, or part of the skill
sets of an electrician, a steam fitter, an iron worker and a carpenter
combined.

To troubleshoot and maintain existing equipment an elevator mechanic
needs to be proficient in basic relay logic from 75 years ago, to the
most sophisticated microprocessor and computer equipment of today,
and every technology in between and every new technology that is
developed in the future. These skills are learned on the job, in
apprenticeship programs and through continuing education.
Currently, elevator mechanic training and education are not required in
the State of Ohio.

This is dangerous for the elevator riding public as well as elevator
industry workers. It is important that this Legislature protect the people
of Ohio and not compromise the safeguards that are statistically proven
to make for a safer elevator industry.

The Elevator Safety Act

The proposed elevator safety law, HB 107 is a bill that, by design, covers
all work in the elevator industry and the trade, thereby providing the
potential to vastly improve the safety of elevators, escalators and other
conveyances.

It governs safety, training, education, and licensing for elevator
contractors and elevator mechanics. In addition to these key features,
the bill incorporates the key industry standards and codes developed by
experts in the field, including the American Society of Mechanical
Engineers.

First, to enhance equipment safety, the bill subjects equipment to
specified registration and inspection requirements.
Through the registration process, the state can obtain information on
the type, rated load and speed of the equipment, name of
manufacturer, product location and the purpose for which the product
is used.

By requiring a certificate of operation for installations, the bill takes
steps to make sure qualified elevator personnel properly completed the
installation in compliance with National and State Elevator Safety Code
Requirements.

Second, under the law, in order to work on elevators in Ohio, a business
must obtain an elevator contractor’s license and employ at least one
licensed elevator mechanic.

Key to the licensing requirements is that the contractor must
demonstrate that it is a reputable company and has obtained the
necessary insurance coverage. Moreover, the law demonstrates
flexibility by authorizing reciprocity for contractors that have similar
licenses in other states.

Third, the legislation establishes minimum training and education
requirements for one to become a licensed elevator mechanic and sets
forth continuing education requirements to renew a license, ensuring
that elevator mechanics have the experience, training and knowledge
necessary to safely and properly construct, install, service, test, repair
and maintain elevators and other conveyances under the bill.

Like elevator contractor’s licenses, flexibility is granted for elevator
mechanic’s licenses in the form of a limited grandfather clause within
one year of the effective date of the bill and reciprocity for a person
that possesses an elevator mechanic’s license from another state.
This legislation also provides two paths for becoming an elevator
mechanic. The National Elevator Industry Educational Program and the
Certified Elevator Technician Training Program that are both approved
and recognized as Elevator Mechanic Apprenticeship Programs by the
US Department of Labor.

Conclusion

In summary, by requiring licensing of elevator contractors, and elevator
mechanics and raising the training and education standards needed to
work on conveyances HB 107 helps address many of the potential
dangers associated with elevators and other conveyances.
The EIWPF supports HB 107 because its design and purpose aligns with
a key mission of our organization –
improving the public safety of elevators and other conveyances.

Thank you for the opportunity to testify before the Committee today.


File and source

File

2021-03-24_commerce-labor_testimony_hb107promoennich.pdf

Size

432,726 bytes

SHA-256

5c5f1f37e7e9e9212dffc9a6ce84b2bd79a958ecb60db4d9439b8c1f5783bec0

Our copy

2021-03-24_commerce-labor_testimony_hb107promoennich.pdf

Original

No public link identified.