We have old elevator equipment rooms that still have open contactor's and conductors. Does anyone have any input on how the room should be posted or what PPE we should be requiring just to walk through the room? Thanks for the help.

I've seen allot of this in old buildings in the northeast. Open frame contactors and exposed conductors. The first method I recommend is enclose the equipment with some sort of barrier such as plexiglas or fencing if possible to prevent accidental contact. Second is lock the elevator room to limit access to qualified personnel only. Then do a short circuit and arc flash study to determine the PPE level. Third, and more costly is upgrade the elevator equipment.

That is good advice from geh and I would recommend the same. They are all prudent and you may find when an AFH analysis is performed that the equipment is a Cat 3 or 4 hazard which would make troubleshooting difficult. Additionally, does the state elevator inspector have to go in the room? If so, you may need him to be qualified in NFPA 70E and have the appropriate PPE.

Installing barriers will help for shock prevention but may not help for Arc Flash hazards. I would recommend performing an AF Hazard Analysis to the Main Disconnect of the elevator controller equipment. You will need to know the available fault current and the time that it takes for the upstream protective device to operate. Knowing the AF Energy Level and AF Boundary will help you access how hazardous the area is.