An article about " Overloaded Lifts Not Safe Enough "

Overloaded Lifts Not Safe Enough

Twelve software Professionals suffered serious injuries when the cable of the lift at the SJR iPark, in Whitefield, snapped on the seventh floor, plunging the cabin right down to the basement of the seven-storey building. The accident occurred in the Warp Tower of the campus, which houses around 10 tech companies.

There were 16 Occupants, employed at Fidelity Information Services Global and Unisys was returning after lunch in the seventh floor canteen shared by the two companies. Twelve Employees, including four of his colleagues, were injured. They were trapped in the lower basement, the injured people were crying for help, some have injured their spine, and others have sustained major fractures.

While the police claimed that the lift was overloaded, employee accounts reveal that the lift had routine maintenance issues. Often it would be out of order and closed for maintenance. It was not overloaded. The lift collapsed as soon as the doors closed on the seventh floor. Kone Elevators Private Limited has the Agreement for maintenance of lift for three years. But there was no proper maintenance. They should check the service once in a month. The Mahadevapura police have registered the case and further investigations are going on.

The use of elevators and lifts has gone up considerably with the rapid increase in number of high-rise buildings in the City. According to an estimate, there are at least 25,000 lifts and elevators in the City. The Builders have to obtain licence from the Karnataka State Electrical Inspectorate (KSEI) to install and operate lifts.

Earlier, over 2,000 lifts in the city were not licenced and on an average, two or three people were killed in lift accidents every year. During an inspection by an Electrical Inspector it was found that many lifts in the city do not comply with Karnataka Lifts and Escalators Act standards. Recognising the need for updating the safety measures and rules for lifts and elevators, the State Government has mooted amendments to the Karnataka Lift Act, 1974. The State Cabinet approved several of these amendments in May 2012. The Cabinet also decided to enact a new legislation-- Karnataka Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyors Act-to replace the Karnataka Lift Act, 1974.

A quality lapse in the Governor would lead to a cable lapse which caused most of the lift accidents. Response of the people involved in accidents and the reaction of the lift operators also are important. Many of the educated people too fail to understand the way to handle an elevator. In most cases, people overload thelift, causing accidents. They need to be educated even on emergency responsealso.