CIBSE Lift Group 2011 Annual General Meeting

The Chartered Institution of Building Service Engineers Lift Group held its annual general meeting on February 9 in Balham, London.

The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers (CIBSE) Lift Group held its annual general meeting on February 9 in Balham, London. The general meeting began with Michael Bottomley, president of the CIBSE Lift Group, declaring the meeting open. He announced at the meeting’s outset that Lionel Hutt would be standing down as vice president and that Steve Hobson, the current secretary, had been nominated to replace Hutt. Hobson was duly elected, giving rise to the vacant position of secretary, to which Dr. Richard Peters was nominated and elected.

Over 120 lift and escalator professionals attended the event, attracting a full house, which was pleasing not only for the organizers, but also for the supporters of the table-top exhibition, which included: A&A Electrical, Bucher Hydraulics, Drucegrove, G-Tex Stainless, Kollmorgan and Peters Research.

The Lift Group was delighted to have President of CIBSE Rob Manning in attendance to present the authors of CIBSE Guide D with a certificate to mark their out-standing efforts.

During the Meeting Point event, Manning stated:

“This revised edition of Guide D demonstrates how successful transportation systems in buildings require a blend of architectural, engineering and operational thinking. It shows how the industry needs understanding of movement strategy, capacity planning and calculation, engineering detail, operational detail, all with the overriding objective of maintaining safety.

“The guide also identifies that there is also a clear need for significant collaboration in order to deliver successful transportation systems in buildings. I believe that this edition of Guide D will continue to inform the need for understanding and collaboration and I hope also that the guide will help to encourage new members to join the ranks of those who have contributed so generously to the content of Guide D to date.”

The theme of the seminar, “CIBSE Guide D 2010”, would be repeated for the annual seminar held on March 23 at the Renold Building on Sackville Street, part of Manchester University. It was reported that sales of Guide D were going very well, and over 100 copies had been ordered through Elevator World, Inc. alone, so an international readership was assured.

It was also announced that the meeting regarding traffic calculations was fully booked. A report of this event will be given by Dr. Peters for CIBSE Lift Group members. A time and place will be published later in the year.

Adam Scott, chairman of the Revisions Steering Committee and the Lifts Group representative on BSI, gave an overview of the documents out for public comment and hinted at the raft of changes that were about to happen. He was also able to report that Guide D had been well received.

As would be expected, the ever-enthusiastic Dr. Gina Barney of Gina Barney Associates was in attendance and giving a hand. She did this with her usual gusto and ensured the officers had that extra nugget of information, an instant comment or the expertise to solve an unexpected technical breakdown.

With the official business complete, the president made a request for members to consider topics that could be covered at future CIBSE Lift Group seminars, and I am sure any serious suggestions would be gratefully received by the organizers, who can be contacted via the group’s website: www.cibseliftsgroup.org.

Following the general meeting, a presentation was given by Richard Hulmes, the chief executive of the Safety Assessment Federation. Titled “The Engineer in Court,” it focused on the experience and requirements an engineer might have or need as either a defendant or an expert witness providing advice to the court.

Hulmes explained the differences between various types of courts and their procedures with illustrations and examples of what could be expected in a courtroom situation. A good deal of importance was placed on the investigation and how the evidence and knowledge is gathered before a prosecution. This was all very informative, and Hulmes explained that many cases never make it to the prosecution stage if they can be settled out of court. If the case did go to court, however, the following points are Richards’ top tips:

• Take comprehensive notes at all stages, from preliminary interviews onwards. These notes should always be acceptable in court, even under cross examination, albeit as a defendant or expert witness.
• Have solid proof of competence.
•  Follow best practices and professional guidance.
•  Ensure a good interview technique, keep cool and don’t
• be rushed or get angry.

Everyone attending the evening presentation thought this was a very interesting topic and would prove helpful should they ever be involved in a legal situation.

The 2011 CIBSE general meeting was well-attended and a resounding success, with attendees looking forward to next year’s event. As of press time, information regarding the 2012 meeting was unavailable. For the latest announcements, visit website: www.cibseliftsgroup.org.