Sharing Knowledge

SBS Lift Webinar provides updates on lift standardization.

submitted by EFESME

The last event of 2021 organized by the European Federation for Elevator Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (EFESME) in collaboration with Small Business Standards (SBS) was the SBS Lift Webinar, which covered the work carried out by SBS and EFESME experts during 2021 in the working groups (WGs) within CEN and ISO. Held on December 14, the webinar also covered work by the Notified Bodies (NBs) and some of the WGs of the European Commission.

The event opened with EFESME President Massimo Bezzi and SBS representative and Technical Coordinator for the Lift Sector Andrea Raffaelli presenting the two associations and the activities they are carrying out together to ensure that SMEs are duly represented within the European and international standardization processes. They explained the efforts to make SMEs more aware of the role they can play in developing SME-friendly standards by actively participating in the standardization process.

Bezzi also highlighted the federation’s accomplishments during 2021 despite challenges of the ongoing pandemic, while Raffaelli stressed the importance of continuous cooperation between EFESME and SBS to ensure the best results for the SMEs they represent, in parallel with sectors related to the lift industry, such as construction, digitalization and machinery.

The technical part of the meeting was opened by Tiziano Caresani, who explained the latest news and updates from CEN TC 10/WG 13 — Vertical Lifting Appliance With Enclosed Carrier and the Commission Expert Group on Machinery.

Caresani, who has been involved on the frontlines of these two WGs for EFESME and SBS for many years, went into detail regarding the ongoing revision of the EN 81-30, EN 81-31 and EN 81-42 standards, paying particular attention to the work done to respond to comments submitted by a harmonized standards consultant to develop standards that are understandable and accessible to all. One point of particular interest on which Caresani focused was whether or not to include in the three standards a table of performance levels for electric safety devices, which could potentially create difficulties within the lift market.

Caresani also illustrated the ongoing work within the Commission Expert Group on Machinery (formerly the Machinery Directive WG), which is particularly active at the moment in the proposed revision of the Directive 2006/42/EC by the European Commission. The topic is of crucial importance for the sector’s SMEs, which are the main actors in the platform-lift industry due to their ability to manufacture customized products. EFESME presented comments on the proposed revision of the Directive and participated in drafting a related SBS position paper. Both documents best exemplify the position of European lift SMEs on this important revision, which must be a tool to boost SME activity — not an obstacle that prevents them from thriving.

(The revision of the Directive 2006/42/EC) must be a tool to boost SME activity — not an obstacle that prevents them from thriving.

The webinar continued with a look at the CEN-European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization’s work to revise the EN 81 series of standards, with Ivan Ferrarini explaining the latest developments in the standardization process from the perspective of a lift SME and the impact on its daily work. Ferrarini explained in detail the current status of fundamental sector standards — such as EN 81-20, EN 13015 and EN ISO 8100-1 — and the position of the European Commission regarding the positions developed within specific WGs tasked with carrying out the revision.

Ferrarini also focused on plant maintenance, market surveillance and inspection for use of lifts — fundamental considerations that involve lift SMEs in the first line of their daily activities. He explained the current status of the special tools available and how the current legislation has evolved over the past 20 years. Finally, Ferrarini focused on Safety Integrity Level-related circuits (what they are and the state of the art in this field) to provide a complete overview of some important considerations for SMEs represented by EFESME and SBS in the WGs involved at European and international levels.

The event concluded with an exhaustive and comprehensive presentation by EFESME Secretary General and SBS expert Luciano Faletto, who elaborated on what had been said by his colleagues, Caresani and Ferrarini. Faletto then gave an overview of several issues followed during 2021, such as:

• The functioning of the various bodies involved in the revision of the EN 81 series and how they relate to each other, explaining the complexity of the updating process;

• The activities of the NBs for lifts and the Ad Hoc Group on Lifts in 2021, especially regarding certificates of conformity and their duration, and who is in charge of verifying conformity with the Essential Health and Safety Requirements. In this respect, a WG has been established to find a common position, as opinions now differ greatly among the various stakeholders involved;

• The activity in ISO TC 178, which runs parallel to that of CEN TC 10, and with which it coordinates to develop future international standards based on the European ones; ISO TC 178 was also recognized for its relevance for the cybersecurity sector, and has dedicated the specialized WG 12 to explore potential and risks;

• The importance of developing digital skills and cybersecurity, two topics that are still not very well known by lift SMEs, but which EFESME has been emphasizing for many years, as it understands how crucial digitalization is for the market.

Thanks to his many years of experience in the sector, Faletto was able to identify the most dangerous points for SMEs, which could drive them out of the market — even partially. EFESME and SBS are focusing on issues such as digitalization and cybersecurity, as well as knowledge and awareness of standardization, to ensure that the SMEs represented have the tools to face the challenges and work in an environment that is as favorable as possible for them.

The event was an important training and information-sharing opportunity that saw all involved very satisfied with the content presented and the opportunity given to SMEs to learn more about the key issues in detail and interact with experts. It is the firm intention of EFESME and SBS to continue organizing such events in the years to come to provide SMEs with as much information as possible to keep them informed and aware of how standardization is progressing, how they can participate and how they are represented.

EFESME would like to thank the speakers for their hard work and all the guests, and hopes to see you at the next event organized during the next edition of interlift in Augsburg, Germany, on 26-29 April 2022.

EFESME, together with its members and experts, carries out a wide range of activities in support of SMEs, and not just from a technical-normative point of view. The areas in which EFESME is currently involved concerns the defense and promotion of SMEs in the technical-normative field, digitalization and cybersecurity in lift systems, as well as a constant commitment to develop standards and norms that are SME-friendly and encourage increasing participation of SMEs.