2013/07 

With the recent revision of the elevator-related laws and regulations, the elevator industry is in a state of panic ahead of the implementation of the parts certification system in July and the elevator inspection standards in September.

In particular, with two months to go before the enforcement of the revised law, not only the industry but also government ministries, inspection agencies, and certification bodies are in a state of confusion due to the discrepancy between the revised versions of the elevator certification standards and inspection standards, and the technical documents and submission methods to be submitted under the revised inspection standards are still in sharp disagreement. 

Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the Korea Elevator Industry Cooperative (Chairman Kim Seung-ho, hereinafter referred to as the Elevator Cooperative) held an 'Emergency Cooperative Members' Meeting on Current Issues in the Elevator Industry' on the 19th of last month at KTX Gwangmyeong Station's middle conference room to explore the industry's response to the revised legislation and its future.

Currently, the Ministry of Safety and Security has formed a council for elevator safety enhancement and industry development composed of industry officials to discuss in-depth the various issues of the recently revised Elevator Facility Safety Management Act (hereinafter referred to as the Elevator Safety Act) several times. The Ministry of Safety and Security is of the view that since the law has already been revised and promulgated, some provisions can be relaxed by accepting industry opinions. Therefore, the five elevator-related associations are collecting various opinions from the industry on the difficulties of the Elevator Safety Act and problems in its application in the field. At the meeting, Kim Seung-ho, chairman of the Elevator Association, said, "It seems that the industry does not know the seriousness of the current situation," and emphasized, "We should take this opportunity to openly confide in each other and discuss the current problems from a zero base and actively respond to them so that we will not be penalized."

The issues raised on the day regarding the revised elevator law included ▲ registration standards for elevator maintenance business branches, ▲ a monthly limit of 100 units per self-inspector, ▲ exclusion of graduates of non-similar majors from self-inspector qualifications, ▲ mandatory supply of elevator defect checking devices for elevator maintenance, ▲ problems with weights during completion inspections, and ▲ a delay in the implementation of the revised elevator inspection standards.

 

Two months before the elevator inspection standards take effect, the industry is 'moving in lockstep'

In particular, the registration standard for the maintenance business is eight people (500 units) for the headquarters of a general maintenance company and six people (300 units) for the headquarters, branches, and branches of a maintenance company that is also a manufacturing company, but when a maintenance company adds a business site, the qualification requirements such as technical personnel (six people) and registration facilities are demanding, so the registration standard should be changed to one that meets the reality of the industry or left to the industry's autonomy.

In addition, it was suggested that the monthly maintenance capacity of 100 units per self-inspector should be relaxed, and that self-inspection qualifiers should be allowed to have field experience even if they are not science and engineering graduates, given the current labor shortage. In addition, it was also discussed that the Ministry of Safety should mandate the provision of defect identification devices, given that large companies are not supplying them, exposing them to dangerous accidents in the event of elevator failures.

The biggest topic of discussion at the meeting was the application of the EN code for elevator inspection standards, which is about two months away. "Rapid introduction without academic research, public hearings by expert groups, and industry opinion gathering is a regulatory and heavy burden on the industry. Therefore, the implementation of the elevator inspection standards should be postponed for two to three years to mitigate the shock to the industry," said an industry official.

According to the revised elevator inspection standards, there are 322 inspection documents that must be submitted for a complete inspection.

 

If the inspection is not passed in time, the single-payment elevator market is expected to be disrupted. In response, the inspection agency is building a computer network to facilitate the submission of technical documents, but standardized regulations have not yet been established. "I doubt that companies will be able to prepare and submit so many documents in two months," said Kim Seung-ho, chairman of the board of directors, emphasizing that "if we fail to enforce the moratorium on the application of the elevator inspection standards, we will shoot ourselves in the foot."

In addition, the part where the elevator inspection company prepares and transports the weights to the inspection site during the completion inspection according to the amendment, one voice said, "It is a system that makes it more difficult for the idea from the position of the deck." Some companies are in the process of outsourcing the preparation of weights. However, even if the inspectorate manages the scheduling of the weights as it has in the past, it is doubtful that some weighing companies will be able to arrive in time for the many completion inspection sites.

 

"There are obviously problems if the inspection fee is paid to the inspection agency and the weight fee is paid to the weight manufacturer," said one industry representative. Another industry representative expressed frustration, saying, "If the elevator company has to prepare structural bills and building permit-related documents, even if the September 15 inspection standard is applied, there may be a situation where a building worth hundreds of billions of won is not completed because of the elevator."