SmartRise Under Investigation: What Property Managers Need to Know About the SRA Safety Order

If your building has a SmartRise SRA controller installed in the past few years, a Canadian safety authority has flagged it for a door zone safety deficiency that could put passengers at risk.

This is not a voluntary advisory. The Technical Standards and Safety Authority (TSSA) of Ontario issued a Director's Safety Order against SmartRise SRA controllers. The reason: when tested, the elevator car drifted 2,438mm (6-8 feet) past the door zone before stopping. ASME A17.1/CSA B44 code requires the car to stop within 1,220mm (48 inches). That is a failure margin of 500%.

SmartRise issued TSB-0016 in December 2024 with software patches. A Director's Safety Order followed in early 2025. If your building has this equipment and the update has not been applied, you may be operating a non-compliant elevator.

Here is what property managers need to know, what questions to ask, and what steps to take.

What TSSA Found

TSSA regulates elevating devices in Ontario, Canada. Their testing revealed a critical failure in how SmartRise SRA controllers handle unintended car movement protection (UCMP).

UCMP is a code requirement designed to prevent elevator cars from moving while passengers are entering or exiting. When doors are open or the car is at floor level, the elevator should not move. If it does move, it must stop within 48 inches (1,220mm) to prevent passengers from being struck, dragged, or crushed between the car and the hoistway structure.

TSSA testing found SmartRise SRA controllers allowed car drift of 2,438mm before stopping. That is approximately 6-8 feet of uncontrolled car movement in a situation where passengers may be stepping across the threshold.

This is the kind of failure that causes the injuries elevator codes exist to prevent. A passenger stepping out of an elevator that unexpectedly moves 6-8 feet can be dragged, struck by the door header, or crushed between the car and landing.

The failure mode involves the door zone detection system. SmartRise SRA controllers use the CEDES Absolute Positioning System with a single door zone sensor configuration. Under certain conditions, the system fails to detect that the car has left the door zone and does not trigger the emergency stop function within code-required distances.

Affected Equipment

The safety order applies specifically to:

Controller: SmartRise SRA with V3 Cedes configuration

Configuration: Single door zone sensor with CEDES Absolute Positioning System

Firmware versions: Software versions prior to patches 3.18c, 3.18d, and 3.18e

If your building underwent modernization in the past five years and received a SmartRise controller, there is a reasonable chance you have affected equipment. SmartRise has grown rapidly in the North American market and appears in modernization proposals from contractors nationwide.

How to Identify Your Equipment

To determine if your building has affected controllers:

1. Check your modernization documentation. The controller manufacturer should be identified in the scope of work, acceptance inspection report, or close-out documentation from your modernization project.

2. Look at the controller cabinet. SmartRise controllers are labeled with manufacturer identification. The SRA designation indicates the affected product line.

3. Ask your elevator contractor. If you have a maintenance agreement, your contractor should know what equipment they are servicing. Ask directly: "Do we have SmartRise SRA controllers? What firmware version are we running?"

4. Request firmware documentation. Ask for written confirmation of the current firmware version installed on each controller. Software versions prior to 3.18c, 3.18d, or 3.18e indicate the corrective bulletin has not been applied.

What SmartRise Did

SmartRise issued Technical Service Bulletin 0016 (TSB-0016) on December 10, 2024. The bulletin addresses the door zone detection deficiency identified by TSSA.

The corrective action involves software updates:

Version 3.18c addresses the initial door zone detection issue.

Version 3.18d provides additional fixes for related scenarios.

Version 3.18e contains further refinements to UCMP behavior.

TSSA issued a Director's Safety Order in early 2025 mandating that all affected equipment receive the corrective update. In Ontario, this is a regulatory requirement with compliance tracking by the provincial authority.

Why This May Not Fully Resolve the Issue

Software patches address software problems. The question for property managers is whether the underlying hardware configuration remains fundamentally sound.

The SmartRise SRA design uses a single door zone sensor. This is a cost-saving configuration compared to dual redundant sensors. When that single sensor fails to report correctly, whether due to software bugs, calibration drift, or environmental factors, the system has no backup.

The patches released in TSB-0016 address the specific software conditions that caused the TSSA test failures. Whether they address all potential failure modes in the single-sensor configuration is a question that requires more field data to answer.

This is relevant context for contract negotiations, equipment selection decisions, and long-term modernization planning.

What Property Managers Should Do

If you have SmartRise SRA controllers in your building, take these steps:

Step 1: Confirm Your Equipment

Contact your elevator contractor and ask: "Do we have SmartRise SRA controllers?" Get a straight answer. If the answer is yes, proceed to Step 2. If the answer is no, request documentation confirming what controllers you do have.

Step 2: Verify TSB-0016 Status

Ask your contractor: "Has Technical Service Bulletin 0016 been applied to our SmartRise controllers?" If yes, request written documentation showing the date of application and the current firmware version running on each controller (should be 3.18c, 3.18d, or 3.18e or later).

If the bulletin has not been applied, escalate immediately. This is not a nice-to-have maintenance item. This is a safety order from a regulatory authority addressing a failure mode that can injure passengers.

Step 3: Request Compliance Documentation

Get written confirmation from your contractor that:

• All SmartRise SRA controllers in your building have been updated per TSB-0016
• The current firmware version is documented for each unit
• The contractor acknowledges the TSSA safety order requirements

This documentation matters if questions arise later about compliance, liability, or equipment condition at time of service.

Step 4: Check Your Jurisdiction

TSSA regulates Ontario. But ASME A17.1 code requirements apply across North America. The 48-inch door zone stopping distance is not a Canadian-specific requirement. It is an ASME code requirement adopted by most US states through A17.1 or the International Building Code elevator provisions.

If SmartRise SRA controllers fail to meet this requirement in Canada, they may fail to meet it anywhere they are installed. The physics do not change at the border.

Contact your local elevator regulatory authority (typically the state Department of Labor or Buildings Department) and ask whether they are aware of TSSA safety order regarding SmartRise SRA controllers. If they are not, you may be providing useful information.

Step 5: Review Your Maintenance Contract

Pull your maintenance agreement and review the sections covering:

• Software updates: Is your contractor obligated to apply safety-related software updates? Or are these billed as extras?
• Code compliance: Does the contract require the contractor to maintain equipment in code-compliant condition?
• Safety bulletins: Is there specific language about manufacturer safety bulletins and technical service bulletins?

If TSB-0016 application would be billed as an extra charge under your contract, that is information worth knowing before you receive the invoice. Our Contract Scanner can help identify exclusions and gaps in your current agreement.

The Warranty Problem

The TSSA safety order comes in context of broader practitioner concerns about SmartRise warranty support.

A thread on VatorTrader titled "SmartRise 5 years warranty is a LIE !!" documents multiple mechanics reporting denied warranty claims. The pattern described: equipment fails within the stated warranty period, SmartRise attributes the failure to installation error or mechanic fault without supporting evidence, claim denied.

This matters for two reasons:

Financial exposure: If SmartRise equipment fails and the warranty claim is denied, you pay for repairs that should be covered. For controller components, this can mean thousands of dollars per incident. Understanding what elevator repairs actually cost helps you recognize when warranty denials create outsized financial impact.

Pattern recognition: Companies that routinely deny legitimate warranty claims signal how they will behave when problems arise. If TSB-0016 does not fully resolve the SRA safety issues, and additional corrective action is needed, what can building owners expect from SmartRise in terms of support, parts availability, and cost sharing?

None of this means SmartRise controllers are unrepairable or that your building is in immediate danger. It means you should approach this vendor relationship with appropriate skepticism and documentation.

Contract Implications

If your building has SmartRise equipment, consider the implications for your next contract cycle:

Disclosure: When you renew your maintenance agreement or solicit competitive bids, disclose that you have SmartRise SRA controllers and ask prospective contractors about their experience with TSB-0016 application and SmartRise technical support in general.

Pricing: SmartRise equipment may affect pricing from contractors who have had negative experiences with the platform. Or it may not. But you should know what you are negotiating around.

Modernization planning: If your SmartRise equipment is under five years old, you probably have years of service life ahead regardless of this safety order. If you are approaching a new modernization project, this history should inform your controller selection. Our guide on what property managers need to know before signing a modernization contract covers controller selection in detail. Healthcare facilities face additional constraints; see hospital elevator modernization costs for regulatory considerations. For a comparison with alternatives, see our Hydraulic Controller Showdown. For property managers considering alternatives, Alpha Controller was founded by SmartRise engineers. See our Alpha Controller Deep Dive.

Contract language: Consider adding contract provisions requiring your contractor to notify you promptly of any manufacturer safety bulletins affecting your equipment and to apply safety-related updates within a specified timeframe.

Why This Matters Beyond SmartRise

This investigation illustrates why independent monitoring of the elevator industry matters for property managers.

TSSA issued their safety order in Canada. There was no press release to US building owners. There was no industry newsletter alerting property managers to check their equipment. If you did not happen to be monitoring Canadian elevator regulatory activity or participating in practitioner forums where this information circulates, you would not know.

This is why we do what we do at ElevatorBlueprint. The elevator equipment obsolescence trap catches building owners because information asymmetry favors vendors. Proprietary lock-in persists because owners do not know they have choices. Safety issues like the SmartRise SRA deficiency affect buildings whose managers have no way to learn about them.

Independent information sources change the equation. When you know what regulatory authorities are finding, what practitioners are reporting, and what patterns are emerging across the industry, you can ask better questions and make better decisions.

Questions to Ask Your Contractor

Use this checklist in your next conversation:

Equipment identification:

• Do we have SmartRise SRA controllers?
• What configuration? (V3 Cedes, single door zone sensor?)
• What firmware version is currently installed?

TSB-0016 compliance:

• Has Technical Service Bulletin 0016 been applied?
• When was the update performed?
• Can you provide written documentation of current firmware versions?

Ongoing monitoring:

• How do you track manufacturer safety bulletins for our equipment?
• How quickly would we be notified of future safety-related updates?
• What is your standard procedure for applying safety bulletins?

Contract coverage:

• Is TSB-0016 application covered under our current agreement?
• If not, what was or will be the cost?
• What notice do we receive before safety-related charges are billed?

Document the answers. Compare them to your contract language. This is standard due diligence for equipment that carries a regulatory safety order.

The Bottom Line

TSSA found SmartRise SRA controllers failing to meet door zone stopping distance requirements by a factor of 500%. TSB-0016 provides a software fix. A Director's Safety Order mandates compliance.

If you have SmartRise SRA equipment:

1. Confirm your equipment status. Know exactly what controllers are in your building.

2. Verify TSB-0016 has been applied. Get written documentation of current firmware versions.

3. Understand your contract coverage. Know whether safety updates are included or billed separately.

4. Document everything. This equipment has a regulatory history. Your records may matter.

5. Consider long-term implications. This is data for your next contract negotiation and modernization planning.

The safety order is serious. It is also addressable. Property managers who take action now protect their buildings and their tenants. Those who assume their contractor handled it may be operating non-compliant equipment.

When it comes to elevator safety, "probably fine" is not a standard we recommend.

Related Resources

• Independent Elevator Controller Guide provides complete analysis of all major controller manufacturers including SmartRise, MCE, Virginia Controls, and Alpha.
• Elevator Obsolescence Trap explains how manufacturers create artificial scarcity to force modernization.
• What Elevator Repairs Actually Cost gives you benchmark pricing to validate any repair proposal.
• Proprietary vs Non-Proprietary Elevators explains how equipment choices affect your long-term service options.
• Elevator Maintenance Contract Guide covers contract structure and common exclusions.
• Elevator Contract Red Flags identifies warning signs in maintenance agreements.
• Elevator State Code Compliance Guide provides regulatory context for equipment requirements.
• Elevator Liability Guide covers liability exposure for property managers.
• Elevator Myths Debunked addresses common misconceptions about elevator safety and service.
• Contract Scanner analyzes your maintenance agreement for exclusions that might leave you exposed.

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