New York Category Tests Witnessing

New York CAT1, CAT3 & CAT5 Witness Testing

Many local code authorities require third party elevator inspectors to witness annual safety tests that are performed by elevator service providers. In New York, the Department of Buildings (DOB) requires that all elevating devices be tested and witnessed by approved independent third party agencies licensed by the DOB.

Such tests shall comply with the timeframes established as follows:

• Category 1 – CAT1 witness testing must be performed and submitted to the DOB by December 31st of each year at a minimal time interval of six (6) months from the date of the previous Category 1 testing. Inspections must be filed with the Department of Buildings within 60 days after the test date, or correction date if a correction is performed. Reports filed after this period will be marked late, and subject to monthly late fees. CAT 1 tests witnessing are required on new installations the calendar year following the final acceptance test.
• Category 3 – CAT3 witness testing are for water hydraulics and shall be performed every three (3) years on or before the anniversary month of the last CAT 3 tests witnessing.
• Category 5 – CAT5 witness testing shall be performed every five years on or before the month of the final acceptance test for new elevators or the anniversary month of the last CAT 5 tests witnessing.

Building Owner and Manager are responsible under the law for hiring a competent and approved elevator inspection agency to perform elevator and escalator tests, as well as an unaffiliated third party agency (usually an elevator consultant) to witness the inspection.

Solucore is a licensed third party agency that can perform the witnessing of the test to ensure that it is performed properly and in accordance with the elevator code. 

With our extensive support staff, we can complete your third-party code inspections, processing, and filing fees (as applicable) for you.

What are the major benefits of Elevator Witnessing?

• Ensure the safety of elevator and escalator users (employees and the public) – Elevators and escalators operating under normal condition may not experience extreme conditions like the ones we subject them to annually and they are certainly not measured to ensure that they are performing to code. Therefore, to ensure that these devices are working properly and under the strict guidelines required by code, we test them annually. For example, an elevator found stopped on the safeties is generally reset and the cause is usually investigated and addressed.  However, under the annual testing and witnessing, the elevator contractor ensures that the elevator safety clamp is activating on both sides of the rail and is applying equally. 
• Provide impartial third-party inspections – We are all humans with daily life pressures and responsibilities. With third party impartial inspectors, short cuts are avoided and strongly discouraged. The result is checked twice and by two separate individuals to ensure that the desired outcome is achieved. 
• Satisfy requirements of insurance carriers – As a building owner or manager, you are responsible under the law for hiring a competent and approved elevator inspection agency to perform elevator and escalator tests. With unaffiliated third party agency witnessing the inspection, you are ensuring that you have met the requirements of the law and hence your insurance is not nullified by negligence.
• Minimize client liability – It is our goal to ensure that the elevators and escalators are performing to code and that the testing work carried out meets the intent of the legislative branch and inspection authority having jurisdiction. Through our diligence and hard work, we aim to give you the peace of mind by ensuring that we are do our work properly and responsibly. 
• Comply with federal, state and local jurisdictions – Witness testing is the law and is not something that we do or take lightly. As noted in a posting in the New York Times dated October 2, 2009 by Irwin Arieff “NEW and more rigorous annual elevator inspections attended by independent witnesses are detecting about 50 percent more violations in New York City…”.

To find out more about the role we can play in CAT1, CAT3 & CAT5 tests witnessing, please contact our licensed and fully qualified technicians and engineers by:

Telephoning us on (212) 858-0505
Emailing us at newyork@solucore.com
Faxing us at (905) 206-1996
Or contacting us online.