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Guardian laws for elevators
The Haryana government has made it mandatory for lift operating agencies to install an Automatic Rescue Device (ARD) — a passenger safety equipment — in the elevators, reports Sanjeev K Ahuja.
The Haryana government has made it mandatory for lift operating agencies to install an Automatic Rescue Device (ARD) — a passenger safety equipment — in the elevators.
The government has determined that the operating life of lifts not go beyond twenty years. Malfunctioning and poorly maintained lifts could be sealed.
According to the newly formulated Haryana Lifts and Escalators Rules, all lift operators in residential and commercial high-rise buildings need to be registered with the newly created department of Chief Inspector of Lifts and Escalators and acquire a licence to operate.
Earlier, the lift manufacturer would issue a fitness certificate for lifts. No government agency was involved earlier in grading the around 3,000 lifts that operate in Gurgaon.
The safety device, which costs between Rs 1.25 lakh and Rs 1.75 lakh, enables a lift to stop at the nearest landing floor and opens its doors, in case of a power failure. ARD is offered as optional equipment with new lifts. In the absence of the system, the lift would stop anywhere after a power failure and its doors would remain shut, creating panic among passengers.
According to an official of the newly created lifts department, the rules were formulated in August and about 500 lift operating agencies have applied for registration.
“A licence would be issued only after the lifts are fitted with ARD and the operating agency completes all necessary norms,” the officer said on condition of anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media.
A majority of lifts in Gurgaon are not fitted with the device as it costs the agencies extra, he added.
