Ok so this one is long winded, but I thought it needed to get out there. Working today on 2 simplex elevators, shared machine room. Electricians were in there just ahead of me doing some touch up work, as this was my third day on the job and I had already started a small punch list for them. Turned my assistant loose on car 1 and was beginning some adjustments on car 2 to get it to run on inspection. Turned my three phase disconnect off, so I could begin detailing the controller and verifying all motor leads and incoming three phase power leads were tight to the starter. Just after turning off the three phase I turned around to work, when a green indicator coming off the three phase disco caught my eye, funny its turned off, why is the indicator light on.... Jiggled the handle to make sure it was fully down, damnit, where is that meter at now, checked the legs, holy Crap 480VAC on 2 legs....

After the deep breath, man that was close, thank you gods, I began my investigation. The disconnect is the type with internal transformers to create its own shunt trip 110VAC power. The electricians thought it a great idea to connect the two controllers, connected equals single source right? The step down transformer was now being back fed, form the still powered up car 1, and turning it into a step up transformer the other way, for the two legs. The luck of the draw, these were not the same two legs my controller used for its own transformer so, no LED readout on the soft starter, no indicator lights on the boards, just blank friendly pieces of elevator controller inviting me to touch them.

Been in the trade 13 years now, the last 7 or so as an adjuster. Mostly Hydraulic elevators as I am just getting up to speed on our tractions. I adjust or inspect roughly 5-7 cars a week, and have worked with these types of disconnects at least 200 times. I am, and forever will be, learning. Posted this so everyone can maybe take an extra 30 seconds to be safe. Glad to be around for another day, maybe the wife will even let me be the boss today!

Thank god your ok but thats why we test an verify or use a voltage sniffer an loto before reaching in.Never assume anything.

Wow, thank the God your ok! Sounds like they installed "Busman" type disconnects. I used to make fun of our Test and Verify tags we would put on until I kick started my bowels one day. Glad your ok!

Guys a Wiggy in my back pocket was my best friend, it is unobtrusive and so handy. You whip it out and then work safely. I can't begin to tell you how many times I said Whew, I am glad I double checked that circuit. Especially on start up on New Construction or Mods.Even when we take precautions and work safe, the people around you may be in a hurry. The Electricians in this case were clueless about how our controllers are wired. They should have asked. they were probably following their prints and in a Court of Law that's what they would say to your Widow.

I took a late night call last year and I had to turn the disconnect off. The coil was open on the 1MA contactor. I turned off the disconnect and began to loosen the contactor so I could access the top better when something didn't seem right, I don't know if it was someone watching out for me or what. So I test and verified with my meter. I still had 480 present. Turns out they changed out the disconnect and put a new panel in for that car only next to the big panel that had the other elevators in it. Nothing was labeled the new disconnect and the old one still had a big 8 on it. Things could have got nasty fast. After that I always t/v and pound it into my apprentice's head. Compliancy kills.

Just on this sbm, this is just criminal by the electricians not marking any new switch or even the old switch. I'm not even sure why you would replace a new switch in a differing place. However in our state(Victoria) you are NOT allowed to work live anymore(unless fault finding and under special circumstances) and you must test and tag everything you work on. So in this instance, if you had got a zap you would still be in breach of your own duty of care as you didn't verify that it was dead. Its a good idea that you drum this in to your workers as it takes 2 seconds. I had a similar instance where I got a 3 phase 415v belt across my hand working on a bmu on a roof. I had recommended all 3 ph plugs get replaced and I had been doing so, testing everyone as I go, but I got lazy and since everyone had been dead, I didn't test the 5th one in line. Wow god it hurt across the hand. It turned out that half of the plugs were on 1 circuit and the other half on another circuit that no one knew about. Test and tag gents. It can save you some pain!!!

I had a building that had passed inspection several years prior and during a callback realized that the emergency power was connected on the wrong side of the disconnect. About 5min after turning off the disconnect, emergency power would kick in and reenergize my elevator controllers. Found it by luck of the draw after 15+ yrs of these units being in service. Worst part was the false sense of security due to the switching delay.