SBS Lift Forum 2022: specific requirements for special tools and instructions in standards are needed

SBS Lift Forum 2022: specific requirements for special tools and instructions in standards are needed

On 23 November, the 2022 edition of the SBS Lift Forum, the event organised by Small Business Standard (SBS) in cooperation with EFESME, was held in hybrid form. This year, the topics of special tools and operating instructions, the need for them to be available and accessible at all times at installations to facilitate daily maintenance work, and the role that harmonised standards play in all this were discussed.
The conference was opened by EFESME President Massimo Bezzi, who stressed that the topic of special tools and instructions for use is not a recent one, but rather a subject on which EFESME and its experts, also with the support of SBS, have been working for years, with the various stakeholders involved.
The availability of special tools and instructions on equipment should be guaranteed, said SBS Secretary General Maitane Olabarria Uzquiano, both to facilitate maintenance operations and to avoid unfair competition mechanisms in the market. Consideration should also be given to digital documentation and how this should be available throughout the product life cycle.
The European Commission is working on the new Standardisation Strategy and standards for lifts will have to be part of this big process. SBS is working with several organisations at international level, including EFESME for the lift sector, precisely to ensure that small and medium-sized enterprises are adequately represented in standardisation processes in Europe.

The first working session of the Forum was dedicated to 'Tools and Instructions in the Digital Age'. Patrick Cox, CEO of the TRE-E Group, gave some thoughts based on the consortium's experience in this field.
Cox explained that digitalisation represents a formidable opportunity for SMEs to become more attractive, faster to operate, and at the same time more capable of producing added value for customers. SMEs must continuously improve their ability to adapt to a changing environment and must harness the energy that this change generates in companies.
Analysing the last 30 years, one can see how much the way of doing business in the lift industry has changed, starting with technological development. Cox explained that last year $36 billion was invested in the Metaverse and this will surely have an impact on lifts sooner or later. The data that technology allows to collect and organise must serve to better understand user needs and behaviour and generate value. Moving from a reactive system, traditionally based on routine, to a proactive and predictive system is undoubtedly an advantage for customers who receive a better service, but also for companies that can contain costs and have margins to reinvest.
Technology alone, however, is not enough. It is essential to be able to create and maintain relationships with users, educate them, and explain the importance of the work that maintenance companies do. It is also necessary to succeed in attracting capable, competent, and passionate technicians by creating a working environment that is in line with expectations, training workers and improving working conditions.
'If our companies employ new technologies in their work, adopt new procedures to provide value to the customer, train their workers to make full use of the tools available, all while moving towards harmonised standards, then we will be able to transform our business, which does not have much visibility for the customer, in fact it has very little. All this sounds simple,' Cox explained, 'but in reality it is not. It is a very long and complex journey that may never end. We have to help companies and make their voice heard in the market. To do this we have to take advantage of the opportunities provided by EFESME through the work done in the various committees'.
Regarding tools, Cox concluded, 'this is a common problem because there is actually very little collaboration within the system. As a consortium, we spend a lot of time training maintenance staff. In particular, we go through the maintenance procedures, analyse all the documentation, and provide a digital version of the documents for easy reference when staff are on site. This is crucial because it allows technicians to work efficiently in a safe environment. Safety, we remind you, is a major concern for us as employers.'

A round table with stakeholders followed. René Hermann, coordinator of CEN/TC10/WG1, was unable to attend. Frauke Hoss, from the European Commission-DG GROW H.2, who was appointed head of the group dealing with lifts this summer, took the floor and stated that she wanted to ensure continuity with the work carried out by her predecessor. With reference to special tools and instructions, Hoss explained that the standards exist, but that there are implementation problems that need to be solved. Two issues were identified: the lack of clear indications as to which requirements are covered by the standards, which therefore need to be revised; and the need to verify the implementation of the standards that have been updated. Maintenance instructions must be an integral part of the standards that are revised, said Hoss, who took stock of the revision of the Machinery Directive and on the Cyber Resilience Act.
The revision of the Machinery Directive, which will become the Machinery Regulation, stems from the need to update health and safety requirements with respect to technological progress, with a focus on digitisation and cyber security. Negotiations are ongoing.
As for the Cyber Resilience Act, it is a proposal to regulate cyber security requirements for products with digital elements.
Referring to the Chinese market, Hoss then spoke about the need for a new standardisation strategy, inviting everyone to participate in international technical committees to make the European voice heard.
'Relations with China are very important for companies and at the same time difficult. I believe,' Hoss said, 'that we will have to address these problems, provide good products and demonstrate that we apply all safety requirements'.

Paolo Tattoli, President of the Lifts Commission of UNI, illustrated the results of a survey conducted among the Notified Bodies that in Italy carry out the mandatory biennial periodic inspection on lifts. The questions concerned the availability on the visited installations of special tools, the instruction and maintenance manual and an adequate plan for the timely replacement of worn or malfunctioning components, devices and portable tools aimed at identifying faults that may cause lifts to malfunction or stop. The survey provided an uneven picture across the territory, confirming that special tools and instructions, necessary to maintain an acceptable level of safety throughout the lifecycle of the installation, are sometimes lacking.
'In my opinion, the situation outlined is caused by the lack of clear and verifiable prescriptions in the lift safety standards, as is the case for all other elements mentioned in the Essential Health and Safety Requirements (EHSRs) of the Lift Directive. If we are not completely clear in the standards we will never improve in this area,' explained Tattoli.
The survey was also extended beyond national borders by sending the questions to EFESME's member associations. The first to respond was FEPYMA, the Spanish federation.

Finally, Ivan Ferrarini, technical area manager of Farma Ascensori and SBS expert within CEN/TC10/WG1 and CEN/TC10/Task Force Harmonised Standards, took the floor. Ferrarini spoke about the evolution of standards referring to special tools and instructions, highlighting the work carried out over the years by EFESME in collaboration with Normapme first and SBS later.
'The proposal we are making,' Ferrarini explained at the end of the speech, ‘is that special tools, such as removable ladders, be equipped with an electrical contact to check their availability in situ. As far as instructions are concerned, we need specific requirements and not generic statements in the main standards'.
Concluding Ferrarini's speech, Hoss explained that the European Commission takes action on new lifts. Member States must act on existing lifts. Ferrarini countered that in his opinion this is a market control issue.

Luca Incoronato, director of Anacam's national office, asked the DG Grow H.2 official whether, in the case where special tools and instructions are missing on an existing lift, the non-conformity must be reported to the Notification Authority who, in turn, must report the change to the competent authorities, or whether there are other procedures to follow.
Hoss reiterated that when the European legislative approach does not offer a satisfactory answer, each Member State can define its own rules.
In conclusion, President Bezzi thanked everyone for their contribution to the event and emphasised the need to find a better solution for the standardisation process because this means creating value for SMEs operating in this market.

The reports are available on the EFESME website and registration will be available soon.