Auditing for Improvement

Your author shares what India’s elevator industry learned from COVID-19 lockdowns and how it can be better prepared for the next wave.

Two waves of COVID-19 have already deeply impacted mankind and its ecosystem. I believe the experience and research we’ve done will help us to better survive the suspected third wave.

It is advisable to learn from the past and prepare for future challenges. Our focus has always been on the safety and optimal health of the elevator industry. During the last two years, we have tried to understand the problems faced by the elevator ecosystem across India. In a recent elevator audit, huge inconveniences for users were discovered due to elevator performance.

During the lockdowns, there was a huge drop in the frequency of routine maintenance in the elevator industry. New installations and repair/modification work had completely halted, and the movement of material and spares for maintenance work was affected. Because of this, there was a rise in breakdown calls and trapped passenger emergency calls. For months, routine maintenance, periodic lubrication and resetting of moving parts were not carried out, which affected the performance of these lifts and their overall lifespans. This has become an important point for our customers and played a role in their decisions to renew service contracts.

At multiple sites we audited, customers refused to pay for service charges during the lockdown period, or they demanded suitable financial considerations from the service provider. During the second lockdown, some states considered the industry request and allowed the movement of elevator service staff to attend to emergency calls, but most of them did not. The repair and new installation work was left halfway finished and remained untouched during the full lockdown period. 

This was a painful scenario for users. Before lockdown, a lot of repair/modification/replacement work was started. But due to the sudden closures, everything came to standstill. I believe before taking up lift repair/replacement work, a well-planned shutdown is needed concerning elevator contractor consultants and society or users.

We came across situations where replacement work was in progress and then stopped abruptly due to the shutdowns. This affected senior citizens and society members with serious health issues, many of whom needed to commute almost daily for medical needs. Sadly, they had no option but to move in with friends or family where elevators were operational. The problem became worse when elevator issues took place in hospitals and healthcare institutes. The system crashed, leaving many immobile.

During interactions with elevator industry groups, it was discovered that similar problems have arisen in their zones, as well. Based on industry feedback, and on behalf of the Indian elevator industry, we are forwarding a few suggestions to the Central Government’s Disaster Management Department:

• Let there be a basic movement for service staff during situations such as trapped, breakdown and emergency calls.

• Attending breakdown calls and trapped-passenger calls must be included in the emergency services category.

• Allow service providers to do routine service. Not servicing elevators for more than two months can lead to further problems in terms of increased breakdowns, material consumption and increased safety risk.

• Transportation is also an important issue during the lockdown. Small companies or unorganized contractors are less likely to be able to afford hefty taxi charges. They should be allowed to avail public transportation services.

• In case of heavy or bulky material and heavy tools, separate permission should be provided on a case-by-case basis.

With these relaxations, we believe that elevator technicians can attend to all the emergency calls, and passengers can use elevators to meet their emergency requirements. Let consultants and manufacturers come together to write blogs, create videos and take online and in-person seminars with society members to spread more awareness on how to practically handle these situations.