Heated Arguments Ensue On Facilities Targeted for Installation and Height Restrictions

With the accidental freefall disaster at O-Yi-Do Station on January 22 as an impetus, a demand for a mandatory safety inspection and the establishment of safety standards for wheelchair lifts has spread throughout the society.  Ten days after the disaster, the Korea Differently Abled Federation (KODAF) issued a statement titled "Elevator Facilities That Demands the Lives of the Physically Challenged as a Collateral for Usage," and exposed the irresponsibility of the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) that has persisted with indifference and negligence on various nationwide wheelchair-related accidents and proposed a legislation revision that would establish wheelchair elevator-related safety standards guaranteeing minimum safety and convenience for the 4.5 million physically challenged nationwide and make the inspection and maintenance of the facility mandatory.
Hereby, the Ministry of Commerce, Industry, and Energy (MOCIE) and the Agency for Technology and Standards (ATS) immediately commenced the process of revision and safety standard establishment for the related law, "Law Related to the Elevator Manufacturing and Management (LEMM)," and announced an advanced notice of legislation last month.  But confusion and a difference in opinions have swirled over establishing measures to prevent the reoccurrence of similar accidents and the revision of LEMM.
In the midst of these developments, a workshop for the convenience facilities and elevator expert technology committee for the physically challenged toward establishing proper wheelchair lift safety inspection standards took place in the 10th-floor conference room of the Boyscouts of Korea building located in Yoido, Seoul on March 14 under the auspices of KODAF and garnered a keen interest from the companies in the elevator business and organizations of the physically challenged at various levels.
This workshop, which was chaired by Mr. Kim, Dong Bum, a head officer of KODAF, and participated by 20 people including experts on elevator-related construction and convenience facilities and people from organizations for the physically challenged and wheelchair lift installation companies, witnessed a heated discussion among the following panel members:
▲Mr. Han Jong Sun (ATS Researcher) ▲Mr. Um, Yong Ki (Technology General Manager at Korea Elevator Safety Institute [KESI]) ▲Prof. Kang, Byung Keun at Architecture & Engineering Department of Kunkook University ▲Mr. Kim, Jung Woo (Elevator Technology Manager at Korea Institute of Machinery & Materials [KIMM]) ▲Mr. Lee, Young Soo (President of Korea Branch of TUV, a German standard certification body) ▲Mr. Bae, Yoong Ho (Head Researcher at Easy Access Act for People with Disabilities in Korea) ▲Mr. Kim, Byung Tae (Director of the Comprehensive Support Center for the Unemployed Physically Challenged)  And as the representatives of the industry, there were ▲Mr. Kim, Woon Young (CEO of Songsan Special Elevator Co., Ltd) ▲Ms. Chun, So Yun (President of Jiam Meditech Co.,Ltd)

Confusion and a Difference in Opinion Swirl Over Law Revision
Among the law revision proposal of LEMM and safety standards whose advanced notice was announced last month, especially, had been expected to cause a confusion down the road as even experts differed in their opinions on 'Establishment of Installation Target Facilities,' 'Limiting Height of Vertical Platform Lift,' and 'Application Toward the Existing Installation Facilities,' among others.
Throughout the duration of the workshop, different views pervaded over target facilities and installation standards for the vertical platform lift height and whether the related facilities should be perceived as a mean for overcoming height difference or a mean for transit in between floors.  KODAF evaluated this workshop with the following statement:  "Whereas ATS and KESI would like to restrict the target facilities and installation standards and view the wheelchair lift as a mean for overcoming height difference, organizations for the physically challenged and experts including Prof. Kang, Byung Keun of Architectural Engineering Department at Kunkook University and Mr. Kim, Jung Woo, a technology manager, urged for a policy that would secure the movement and access of the physically challenged through eliminating the restrictions on target facilities and height limits and strengthening safety standards."  In spite of differing views, this workshop offered an opportunity to bridge the gap between the legal framework and irrational realities through an exchange of opinions and knowledge among the organizations involved.
But this, by no means, was a resolution of current issues.  The first step has been taken but there are still numerous obstacles that need to be overcome.  Two days after the workshop, over 20 organizations for the physically challenged under KODAF announced the 'Written Request on Wheelchair Lift Safety Inspection Standards' based on the content reviewed during the workshop and in effect declared their dissenting position on restrictions for the scope of installation target facilities and installation methods for the wheelchair lift.

An Objection Over the Restrictions on Target Installation Facilities Revealed
According to the written request, if target facilities are restricted to public facilities as specified according to the Article No. 4 'Annex 2.3' of the 'Enforcement Ordinance for Guaranteeing the Convenience Promotion for the Physically Challenged·The Elderly·Pregnant Women and Nursing Mothers (henceforth referred to as the 'Convenience Promotion Law')', wheelchair lifts installed on non-mandatory facilities, including a pedestrian overpass, underground pass, park, communal houses, and other similar facilities, would fall through the installation and inspections standards yet again.
In addition, it also stated that although there are no restrictions related to installation target facilities for passenger and freight elevators and escalators, which are classified in the elevator category just as the wheelchair lifts is, based on the Annex 1 of Article No. 2 of the LEMM Implementation Regulations, stipulating target facilities for the wheelchair lifts only is a clear discrimination against the physically challenged.  KODAF summarized its position by saying, "As the Article No. 1 of LEMM states the purpose of the law as 'Enhancement of elevator quality and protection of elevator users through an effective elevator management by stipulating items on production, installation, and maintenance,'if the LEMM is not applied for certain installation facilities for the reason of cost burden by the management, this can be construed as the government forsaking the protection of the physically handicapped using wheelchair lifts."  Thus, KODAF demanded, "Securing a safe movement realm for the physically challenged by imposing an inspection obligation for all locations where wheelchair lifts are installed without stipulating target facilities as in the case of elevators seems appropriate.  Moreover, as for the installation methods,  a phrase 'powered ascending and descending along the sloped stairway' in the revision proposal should have 'along the sloped stairway' stricken from it."
As the organizations for the physically challenged have officially issued a strongly dissenting declaration against restrictions on target installation facilities and installation methods, which were key issues, the future direction for law revision and safety standards has become murky.