The operation of a faulty elevator is a direct risk to the safety of citizens who ascend and descend on such elevators. Tragedies with elevators in Kazakhstan, in which people die or are seriously injured, occur annually, Delovoy Kazakhstan reports.
So, in May last year, a 42-year-old resident of the capital suffered from a blow from a fallen elevator cab. The elevator did not give an overload signal and continued to move upward.
In July 2021, a 31-year-old man and his 16-year-old niece were taking the elevator when there was a fall and a sharp braking between floors, as a result of the incident there were no injuries. According to these facts, procedural decisions were made.
And there are a lot of such examples, unfortunately, as we know, in order to establish requirements for the safety of elevators, appropriate standards are being developed, which have all the requirements for the operation of elevators.
In Kazakhstan, the subordinate organization of the Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology, Kazstandart, is engaged in the development of National Standards for elevators. On November 28, 2018, by Order of the Chairman, the National Standard of the Republic of Kazakhstan ST-RK 3305-2018 "Elevators, escalators, travelators and lifts for persons with disabilities was approved and put into effect on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Requirements for delivery, installation and operation" (National Standard), which contains the basic requirements for elevators.
At the same time, the National Association of Elevator Operators (Association) identifies several problems that the elevator industry is facing today.
For example, when conducting public procurement, the Tender documentation, in addition to the qualification requirements for elevators, should contain a technical specification indicating national standards, but customers ignore these requirements and do not indicate the existence of a National standard, and as a result, tenders for the supply of elevators and maintenance services are won by questionable companies that do not correspond to professionalism.
Another problem is the local executive bodies and akimats, who simply do not know how to apply the national standard ST 3305-2018, although it is they who, in accordance with Article 27 of the Law "On Local Public Administration and Self-Government in the Republic of Kazakhstan", must ensure compliance with national standards.
According to the Association, it is also necessary to develop a mechanism with the Committee to restrict the import into our country of substandard elevators of dubious origin caused by emergency and tragic situations in residential buildings and social facilities. The Association considers it right to provide for administrative responsibility for the participants of the elevator market for non-compliance with the norms of the National Standard, since the safety of the population of our country depends on compliance with the requirements of this document.
"I believe that many will agree with me if I say that without significant measures of responsibility, the National Standard can become an ineffective standard of a formal nature. I would like to note that the Code of Administrative Offences of the Republic of Kazakhstan has long been effectively operating Article 418, which provides for liability for violation of national standards imposed on the State Flag, the State Emblem of the Republic of Kazakhstan and violations of which in fact do not threaten the health and life of our citizens, but at the same time are certainly significant deviations and affect the image of our country," said the President of the National Association of Elevator Operators of Kazakhstan Igibaev E.M.
Currently, the Committee, together with the Association, has begun developing National Standards for the modernization of obsolete elevators, in order to improve the quality of equipment and improve safety in accordance with the requirements of legislative norms.
The Committee also sends explanatory letters on standards to local executive bodies in order to popularize National Standards.
