European Federation for Elevator Small and Medium-sized Enterprises aisbl

EFESME informs

News and insights told through articles, images and videos.

May 31, 2023

EFESME-NAEC-EECMAI webinar "A comparison between the main lift standards in the US, the EU, and India" ~ Highlights

On 30 May, EFESME, NAEC and EECMAI organised a webinar entirely dedicated to dialogue on the differences between the main standards in Europe, the United States, and India. The occasion, prompted by EFESME, turned out to be a valuable and interesting discussion table that allowed the experts involved and the public present to dialogue with similar but different realities from those they know and in which they work on a daily basis.

The three experts invovled replied to the following answers:

1. In developing the current standards in your country and in the related working groups:
1a. What is the average composition of members from different stakeholders?
1b. Is this composition affecting the outcome of standardisation activities?

2. How are your standards addressing the following topics?
2a. Availability of detailed indications on how to provide appropriate access to the different elevator equipment by the differently competent maintenance operators.

2b. Normative prescriptions for mandatory presence on site of:
• Special tools for rescue, maintenance, diagnostics, repairs.
• Instructions (including detailed plans for the whole lifecycle) for maintenance, repairs, adjustments & replacements.

3. As Association, do you offer to your associates any trainings for general and/or maintenance activities relevant to updates to the main (referenced) standards?

As can be seen from the questions, the event revolved around three main topics, which were then analysed in more detail thanks to questions from the audience: the composition of the WGs working on lift standardisation in the EU, the USA, and India; the accessibility of instructions for use and special tools (a crucial topic on which EFESME has been working on for years); and the importance and availability of training in order to be able to count on up-to-date and trained staff. These are key issues for the whole sector, but especially for the small and medium-sized enterprises that EFESME represents in Europe. During the webinar, lift SMEs were often one of the aspects addressed by the experts, demonstrating their fundamental role in all aspects of the lift industry - albeit with different elements depending on the reality in which they work.

At the organisers' behest, the webinar was a dialogue between the parties, so that lift standardisation and how it is evolving in Europe, the US, and India could be openly compared, always with an eye on how the various local processes will impact global standardisation, and vice versa. It was a dynamic event, a back-and-forth between the parties often enlivened by questions from the audience, which certainly helped to further define certain points of interest, especially regarding the future of standardisation.

There was great satisfaction on the part of EFESME, NAEC and EECMAI for this first webinar together - it is proof that by collaborating together we can achieve results that are not only important, but interesting and useful for the entities involved, their associates and all interested stakeholders.

EFESME would like to thank NAEC and EECMAI, their respective presidents Mr. John Tolar and Mr. Suraj Thodimarath, the experts and staff involved in organising this webinar, and hopes it will be the first in a series dedicated to learning more about not only lift standardisation in one own part of the world, but also abroad, so as to create opportunities and synergy for continuous improvement.

Unable to follow the event or interested in checking it again?