Moving people - Lifts

As elevator motorization and control system technologies have evolved considerably over the last 10 years, the configuration and layout of elevator equipment in buildings has changed considerably. One example is the virtual disappearance of machine rooms in new elevator construction. As a result, regulations have been introduced over the years to govern both the safety and maintenance of installations. The Elevator Directive 95/16/EC of June 29, 1995, transposed by Decree no. 2000-810 of August 24, 2000, as amended, and the Urbanism and Habitat Act of July 2, 2003 and Decree no. 2004-964 of September 9, 2004, as amended, are the two major texts to have been published in recent years in the elevator field.

A new Directive No. 2014/33/EU on the harmonization of the laws of the Member States relating to elevators and safety components for elevators applies from April 18, 2014. This new directive recasts Directive 95/16/EC, which remains in force on a transitional basis until April 19, 2016. The new directive has yet to be transposed into French law. At the same time, in response to the essential health and safety requirements imposed by these directives, non-mandatory harmonized standards are proposed to facilitate their application and offer technical solutions to designers.

This article, based on a pragmatic description of elevator technology, will give readers a better grasp of the issues involved in setting up the equipment in its environment, as well as the accessibility and safety issues associated with this mode of vertical travel. It reflects the state of the art in the profession.