CHENNAI: Before you get into a lift next time, look for the government certification that the facility is safe to use.
From now on, the licence or the certificate that guarantees the safety of the electrical equipment should mandatorily be pasted on the entrance door or just above the control switches on the wall of a lift.
The Electrical Inspectorate of Tamil Nadu (EI), the authority to certify the safety of lifts has just begun sending notices to all residential and commercial building owners with lifts to prominently display the licence on the main entrance of the lifts, or just above the control switches on the wall. A small, 7 x 5 inches miniature copy of the licence, in ready-to-paste sticker form is being dispatched.
A top official of the Inspectorate told Express that it is mandatory to display the certification and the new rule is to ensure that licences for lifts are periodically renewed which alone could guarantee the safety of users.
“This will also boost the confidence of users.” Though no deadline for the display of the licence has been set, the inspectorate welcomes lift owners to voluntarily do it, as soon as possible.
Saying that it is a huge process to send out the miniature copies of licences to all the 8,000 plus owners, the official said those who own lifts are welcome to collect the miniature copies from the office of the Electrical Inspectorate of the government of Tamil Nadu, in Thiru Vi Ka Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai. Mishaps on lifts occur primarily due to poor maintenance and non-replacement of worn out spares. A section of lift owners do not make renewals or don’t take licences for fear of being hauled up by officials for poor maintenance. The new requirement would encourage both new and current lift owners to go in for fresh or renewal of licences.
It may take about six months to complete the process of sending out the small licence copies to all the lift owners in the city and suburbs, the official added.
40 per cent unlicensed
As per official estimates, there are 8,376 lifts in the city and suburban neighbourhoods that come under Kancheepuram and Tiruvallur districts. The maximum lifts are in south Chennai - 5016, followed by north Chennai 1700. The rest is from west and central Chennai (477) and Kancheepuram districts (1150) besides some pockets of Tiruvallur districts. Out of this, well over 3000 lifts are unlicensed. This is inclusive of both who have not taken licences and those who have not applied for renewals. A licensing official says lifts that have not come to the department’s notice at all may well be over 1,000. The department is taking steps to bring all the buildings under the licence net to ensure safety. “However, the issue of inadequate employees is a real problem,’ he said.