0n 17th September in Singapore, Building Construction and Authority (BCA) one of the ministry in Singapore that want to improve the system that use by lift and escalators which use by residents. According News Straits Times Singapore Edition, as part of an ongoing review of lift and escalator regulations, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) is encouraging lift owners to modernist their lifts for greater reliability and performance which is to come up with a list of recommended technologies for this voluntary move. These include an electrical interlocking switch for multi-panel lift doors, which ensures that when the lift door panel is open, the lift will stop moving immediately; and a battery-powered automatic rescue device for lifts with no standby power generating system, which can bring the lift to the nearest landing and open the doors in the event of power failure.  

Over the past six months, BCA studied the various features installed in existing lifts and benchmarked them against international practices. Following the conclusion of the study, BCA recently convened an international panel of experts (IPE), which also included local experts and industry stakeholders, to review BCA’s recommendations on the modernisation of existing lifts in Singapore. BCA also sought their input on key issues relating to lifts and escalators, including industry capability development and regulatory requirements. There are about 61,000 passenger lifts in Singapore. When properly used, maintained and inspected, existing lifts will still be safe for operation, said the BCA in a release on Friday (Sept 16).  This number will continue to increase. These lifts have been progressively installed over the years in accordance with prevailing codes and standards at the point of installation. Existing lifts, when properly used, maintained and inspected, will continue to be safe for operation. However, technological advancements may mean that some lifts are not equipped with the latest features. In this regard, there is scope to modernise such lifts and to bring them on par with newer lifts.

Mandatory lift modernization programs have been carried out in places such as Belgium and New York, while Finland and Hong Kong have set guidelines for voluntary modernization. The BCA drew up its lists of recommended items based on earlier consultation with the industry and bench marked against safety standards. BCA also took into consideration the observations from lift audit checks conducted by its lift engineers, as well as the findings from recent lift incidents in Singapore and abroad.

To attract more workers to the lift industry, the BCA is looking at introducing a defined career progression pathway for both technicians and industry professionals, which aims to “provide clarity in their career progression and boost confidence about their prospects in the industry". BCA will also work with the relevant agencies and the industry to build up manpower capabilities to support the sector given the enhanced regulatory regime onmaintenance of lifts and escalators. Currently, the BCA-Industry Joint Scholarship/Sponsorship provides funding support to students who are  looking to join the lift/escalator industry, as well as a competitive and progressive salary upon graduation.   To get more information : New Straits Time Singapore