De Anza College students already have problems navigating congested parking lots.

Now that trouble may extend to the campus’ elevators.

All elevators on the De Anza campus currently operate with permits bearing an expiration date of Dec. 22, 2000. According to the posted permits, the last inspection by the state was in 1999.

By California Division of Occupational Safety and Health standards, it is the school’s responsibility to notify the state and request an inspection as soon as the permits expire.

According to the San Francisco/Peninsula District Office of DOSH, the Foothill-De Anza District Plant Services Department requested an inspection on Nov. 6, almost two years after the expiration date.

Regardless of when the request is made, De Anza may have to wait months or years before the permits are updated.

“The state has an extremely limited number of elevator inspectors. Throughout the state, they are years behind in inspections,” said Frank Koenig, associate director of Facilities, Operations and Construction at FHDA.

According to John Larwood, service manager of Elevator Services, an elevator maintenance company, De Anza will most likely not be required to pay the usual $1,000 fine for the failure to post updated permits. “I’ve never seen it enforced,” said Larwood. “[The state] usually just sends out a lot of warnings.”

In addition to a fine, the school could be faced with a sizable lawsuit if a student or faculty member is injured while riding an elevator with an expired permit. “It’s a huge liability,” said Larwood.

To compensate for the outdated permits, De Anza has an open contract with Elevator Services – which performs monthly elevator examinations, provides regular maintenance and offers a 24-hour phone number for emergencies.

“We go through the same inspection process on our own,” said Koenig. “We spent $32,000 on elevator services just at De Anza last year.”

Larwood said the regular maintenance of the elevators should alleviate any worries the students and faculty may have.

“If there is a problem with the elevators, we don’t allow anybody in,” said Assistant Director of Police and Securities Ben Rodriguez.

However, students find elevator safety to be questionable.

“Not seeing the updated permits makes me concerned for my own safety,” said student Winnie Chen. “The school should be giving us more information on that.”

Many students find the elevators in the parking structure to be particularly unsafe, and some have experienced their malfunctions firsthand.

“I was in there by myself and right between the second and third floors it started shaking up and down,” said student Orlando Macias. “I was probably stuck for about a minute, but a minute being stuck in an elevator is a long time. I was pretty scared.”

“I’ve been stuck many times before. It gets shaky and then just stops. Then it will start up again. Every time I come to the elevators now I’m afraid I’ll get stuck for a long time,” said student Grace Chung.*

Larwood says that outdoor elevators commonly experience minor difficulties, most likely due to debris that gets blown in and deposited into the aluminum tracks. “Being trapped in an elevator is not the worst thing that can happen.”

“Nothing is perfect; machines are going to malfunction,” said Rodriguez.

However, students remain uncomfortable with the idea of possibly being trapped, particularly those with canes or in wheelchairs who may not have the option of taking stairs.

“If an elevator gets stuck and it’s not down to the exact level where you can roll out, you can’t just get out of your wheelchair and step down. You’re stuck in there,” said student Susan Ward. “It’s a hazard and it makes me very uncomfortable.”

“It’s just an unnecessary risk that should have been taken care of,” said student Melissa Walker. “People are already getting stuck. Is it going to take somebody to die before they are inspected?”

* The Grace Chung that was quoted in this article is not related to La Voz Opinions Editor Grace Chung.