61C-5.008: Definitions
61C-5.0085: Continuing Education Requirements
PURPOSE AND EFFECT: The purpose of this rule development is to implement the statutory requirements of Chapter 399, Florida Statutes. This rule provides definitions of terms used in the chapter and provides the specifications for continuing education requirements for elevator safety personnel, the submittal, review, and approval of elevator training programs; instructor qualifications; and, the exemption for certain military personnel.
SUMMARY: This rule provides the specifications for the submittal, review, and approval of elevator safety personnel continuing education programs; the required components of continuing education programs; and, the mandatory timelines for submittal of continuing education programs. Copies of the rule may be obtained from John Calpini at the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants Tallahassee office at (850)488-9098.
SUMMARY OF ESTIMATED REGULATORY COSTS: No Statement of Estimated Regulatory Cost was prepared.
Any person who wishes to provide information regarding a statement of estimated regulatory costs, or provide a proposal for a lower cost regulatory alternative must do so in writing within 21 days of this notice.
SPECIFIC AUTHORITY: 399.001, 399.01(17), 399.049 FS.
LAW IMPLEMENTED: 399.01(17) FS.
IF REQUESTED WITHIN 21 DAYS OF THE DATE OF THIS NOTICE, A HEARING WILL BE SCHEDULED AND ANNOUNCED IN FAW.
Pursuant to the provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, any person requiring special accommodations to participate in this workshop/meeting is asked to advise the agency at least 7 days before the workshop/meeting by contacting: Michelle Comingore, Operations Review Specialist Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, 1940 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1012; Telephone: (850)488-1133. If you are hearing or speech impaired, please contact the agency using the Florida Relay Service, 1(800)955-8771 (TDD) or 1(800)955-8770 (Voice).
THE PERSON TO BE CONTACTED REGARDING THE PROPOSED RULE IS: John Calpini, Chief, Bureau of Elevator Safety, Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Hotels and Restaurants, 1940 North Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32399-1012; Telephone: (850)488-9098
THE FULL TEXT OF THE PROPOSED RULE IS:
61C-5.008 Definitions.
When used in this rule, the following terms shall have these meanings:
(1) “Bureau” means the Bureau of Elevator Safety.
(2) “Course” means a course, seminar or other program of instruction approved by the bureau for the purpose of satisfying continuing education requirements established in Chapter 399,
(3) “Course hour” means fifty minutes of instruction, exclusive of breaks, recesses, or time not spent in instruction.
(4) “Course provider” means the person or entity approved by and registered with the bureau pursuant to this rule and who is responsible for conducting a course approved pursuant to this rule.
(5) “Course instructor” means the person appointed by the course provider to actually conduct an approved course.
(6) “Current satisfactory inspection” means an inspection completed on or after August 1 of the previous year that is the most recent annual inspection conducted prior to submission of the current application for renewal and contains no violations.
(7) “Direct supervision” means a certificate of competency holder supervising an elevator helper as set forth in Section 399.01(16), Florida Statutes, is within physical proximity of the person being directly supervised such that timely observation and evaluation of the work being performed is facilitated to ensure the work is completed in accordance with applicable statutory and administrative code requirements.
(8) “Session” means each distinct occasion a course is conducted.
(9) “Syllabus” means a detailed outline of the course content to a level of detail that sufficiently demonstrates the relevance required by subsection 61C-5.008(3), F.A.C.
Specific Authority 399.01(17), 399.02(6) FS. Law Implemented 399.01(17) FS. History–New _______.
61C-5.0085 Continuing Education Requirements.
(1) Continuing Education Requirements.
(a) To renew a Certificate of Competency, a Certified Elevator Technician, or a Certified Elevator Inspector credential issued by the bureau pursuant to Chapter 399, Florida Statutes, that requires continuing education, a person must submit, in addition to the required application and fee, proof of completion within the current annual licensure period of 8 hours of approved continuing education.
(b) A person holding more than one individual credential issued by the bureau that requires continuing education need only complete 8 hours of continuing education during each annual period, but must submit proof of completion of the continuing education with each application submitted to the bureau for renewal of the credentials.
(c) A person initially certified or registered by the bureau 180 days or more prior to the renewal deadline must complete 4 hours of approved continuing education as a condition of renewal.
(d) A person initially certified or registered by the bureau for less than 180 days prior to the renewal deadline need not complete any approved continuing education as a condition of renewal.
(2) Course Provider Approval.
(a) Each course provider must register with and obtain approval from the bureau to appoint instructors and conduct courses that satisfy continuing education requirements of Chapter 399,
1. Possession of a Certificate of Competency issued by the bureau and in good standing;
2. Certification in good standing, pursuant to American Society of Mechanical Engineers standards as a Qualified Elevator Inspector;
3. Proof of registration, licensure or certification in the elevator trade by a United States authority having jurisdiction, to standards substantially equal to or more stringent than those of Chapter 399, Florida Statutes.
(b) A licensed, certified or registered contractor or engineer having five years experience in the elevator industry may, upon verification, be approved as a course provider.
(c) Each course provider approval and registration expires three years from the date of issue, and must be renewed prior to conducting any further courses intended to satisfy continuing education requirements of Chapter 399,
(d) Each course provider seeking bureau approval must submit at least one continuing education course syllabus to the bureau for approval.
(e) A course provider must provide the bureau written notice of any material changes to information contained in its most recent application for, or renewal of, approval and registration no later than 30 days after such a change.
(f) The bureau shall maintain a list of all course providers it has approved.
(g) The bureau shall deny approval of, suspend, or revoke the registration of any course provider if based on any of the following:
1. Obtaining or attempting to obtain registration or course approval through fraud, deceit, false statements, or misrepresentation of material facts, whether such statements or misrepresentations are made knowingly or negligently.
2. Failure to provide complete and accurate information in the initial application for registration or in any notification of change in information.
3. Failure to notify the bureau of a change in the information required in subsection (4) for registration of course providers.
4. Falsification of any records regarding the continuing education courses conducted by the course provider or the persons who attended the courses.
5. Failure to maintain any required records regarding the continuing education courses conducted by the course provider or the persons who attended the courses.
6. Failure to properly record attendance at any session of an approved course.
7. Failure to provide the bureau with copies of any document or other information required to be maintained by the course provider pursuant to this rule.
8. Advertising that a course is approved prior to the date approval is granted, or otherwise including false or misrepresentative information in advertising.
9. Participating in any activity designed or intended to circumvent or evade the requirements of Chapter 399, Florida Statutes, or the rules adopted by the bureau to implement that section.
10. Failure to include the bureau course identification number in any advertisement, brochure, course completion certificate, or other marketing or instructional material.
(h) If a course provider’s registration is suspended or revoked, the course provider must cancel all sessions scheduled after the suspension or revocation takes effect and refund any fees associated with those sessions until such time as the course provider is restored to good standing.
(i) The bureau may deny approval or renewal of, suspend, or revoke the registration of any course provider when any license prerequisite to approval and registration of the course provider becomes suspended or revoked by the bureau.
(j) A provider whose approval and registration is delinquent, expired, suspended or revoked may not conduct courses. Any courses conducted while a provider is delinquent, expired, suspended or revoked, will not satisfy the continuing education requirements of Chapter 399,
(3) Continuing Education Course Approval.
(a) To satisfy continuing education requirements of Chapter 399,
(b) The following subjects are relevant and provided as a guide. Courses submitted for approval need not encompass all these nor be limited to only these: elevator general theory and principles; plan and specification reading and interpretation; electrical codes; wiring and protection; wiring methods and materials; special occupancies and situations; life safety and Americans with Disabilities Act; current adopted elevator safety codes; inspectors manuals and structural considerations; wheelchair or accessibility lifts; OSHA Safety standards; periodic safety tests; or use of specialized tools and equipment.
(c) Continuing education courses will only be considered for approval when the appropriate application is submitted by an approved course provider to the bureau. The application must include: total number of hours of the course; a syllabus that demonstrates topical relevance of the course and includes an accounting of time spent on each topic or subsection in increments of not less than a quarter hour; the name and qualifications of all instructors known at the time of the application. The bureau shall assign each approved course a unique identification number.
(d) Any course denied approval may be modified and resubmitted for approval.
(e) The bureau may not deny or withdraw approval for a course on the sole basis that another course provider conducts the same or similar course approved by the bureau.
(4) Course Instructor Qualifications.
(a) Course instructors must be affiliated with an approved course provider and possess education and experience that qualifies the instructor to teach the course or parts of the course to which he or she is assigned. This education and experience must be verified by the course provider, and consist of the following: five years experience in the construction, alteration, modification, maintenance or repair of elevators, and one of the following:
1. Possession of a Certificate of Competency issued by and in good standing with the bureau;
2. Current certification under the American Society of Mechanical Engineers standards as a Qualified Elevator Inspector;
3. Proof of registration, licensure or certification in the elevator trade by a United States authority having jurisdiction, to standards substantially equal to or more stringent than those of Chapter 399, Florida Statutes.
(b) A licensed, certified or registered contractor or engineer having five years experience in the elevator industry verified by the course provider, and whose license, certification, or registration is in good standing, also verified by the course provider, may teach a course within the scope of his or her license.
(5) Records Required of Course Providers.
(a) The course provider must maintain records for each session of courses it conducts for the purpose of satisfying continuing education requirements established in Chapter 399,
1. The time, dates and address of each course session.
2. The name, address and qualifications of any instructor teaching any portion of a course session.
3. The syllabus of each course, which must be provided to each attendee.
4. The name, address and bureau certification or registration number and type of each person that completed a course session, regardless of whether a fee is charged.
5. The original sign-in sheet used on-site to record attendance for each course session, which must include: the time, date and address of the course session, the attendee’s printed name, signature, and bureau certification or registration number and type, and number of course hours the attendee completed. The sign-in sheet must prominently bear the following statement above the attendees information: “By affixing my name and/or signature and/or mark to this document, I attest and certify that I am correctly and accurately identified herein as the person attending this continuing education course session.” The sign-in sheet must also bear the following statement: “I attest the information recorded herein is true and accurate” above the signature of the instructor and the printed names of the course provider and instructor.
(b) Upon completion of a course, each attendee shall receive from the course provider a certificate measuring 8½ inches by 11 inches, displaying the following: the time, date and address of the course session; name of the course; number of course hours attended; the name of the course provider and instructor, and bureau course identification number.
(6) Advertising Continuing Education Courses.
(a) A course provider may not advertise a course as approved by the bureau until such approval is granted.
(b) A course provider may not misrepresent or include false or misleading information regarding the contents, instructors or number of hours of any course approved under this rule.
(c) The course provider must include the bureau course identification number in any advertising used in connection with the course, and any other materials used in connection with the course including but not limited to the syllabus or other instructional materials.
(7) Continuing Education Exemption for Certain Military Personnel.
A licensee who is a member of the Armed Forces of the United States or is called to active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States and is caused to be absent from the State of Florida because of duties with the armed forces lasting 180 days or longer shall be exempt from all continuing education requirements under these rules during such absence. The licensee must show proof to the bureau of the absence and the licensee’s military status.
Specific Authority 399.001, 399.01(17), 399.02(6), 399.049 FS. Law Implemented 399.01(17) FS. History–New ________.