ASME A17 CODES HISTORY, MYSTERY AND REALITY

摘要

The American Society of Mechanical Engineer's (ASME) roots as a professional society date back to the late 1800s. As the industrial era blossomed, the "push to production" triggered an accumulation of events which drove growing concern for public safety. Notable at the time were multiple catastrophic boiler explosions. Concern for safety drove development of the first boiler code published by ASME in 1915. In a closely related development, the first edition of A17 A Code of Safety Standards for the Construction, Operation and Maintenance of Elevators, Dumbwaiters and Escalators was published in 1921. Since that time, the Code has evolved through editions and addenda. Today, the A17 family consists of five independent but related publications (A17.1 Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators; A17.2 Guide for Inspection of Elevators, Escalators and Moving Walks; A17.3 Safety Code for Existing Elevators and Escalators; A17.4 Guide for Emergency Personnel; and CAN/CSA B44.1/A17.5 Standard for Elevator and Escalator Electrical Equipment). ASME's objective is to serve the interests of public safety, and in effect, function as the "keeper of due process" in a system which balances multiple interests of safety, responsible engineering, design integrity, commercial venture and regulation. As a professional society, ASME cannot have partisan interest. That premise, in fact, is the cornerstone of consensus committee organization, structure and procedural guidelines.