Nova Scotia Building Owners: Is Your Elevator’s Category 5 Test Scheduled?
If you own or manage a building with an elevator in Nova Scotia, there is a question worth asking your service provider now:
Does this elevator require a Category 5 test, and if so, when is it scheduled and what is the cost?
Nova Scotia’s current testing cycle runs through December 31, 2026. Category 5 testing applies to traction elevators and some hydraulic elevators. For applicable equipment, the province has identified the testing as a requirement for 2026 licence renewal.
The practical challenge is scheduling. Testing takes planning, and building managers may need to coordinate equipment access and communicate a temporary interruption in service. Waiting until the end of the year could make that more difficult.
A short conversation with your elevator service provider can establish:
Whether Category 5 testing applies to each elevator in your building
The date of its last Category 5 test
When the next test is scheduled
What access or service interruption to expect
How the completed test will be documented
NS DOL does not require your contracted maintenance provider to complete the Category 5 test, unlike Category 1 or annual testing. You are therefore free to obtain quotes from other contractors licensed to provide this service.
If you manage several properties, it may help to put that information in one place so no device is overlooked.
I have spent more than 20 years in the elevator and escalator industry, and I know how much easier these requirements are to manage when owners, managers, and service providers plan together.
If you have not confirmed your building’s Category 5 testing status, now is a good time to ask.
Nova Scotia’s elevator and lift industry fact sheet: https://lnkd.in/diyiHWxq