Shanghai tightens elevator safety rules

New rules on elevator management and maintenance will be introduced next month in a bid to improve public safety, authorities said yesterday.

Under the revised regulations, lifts that have been in operation for than 15 years should be maintained "more frequently" than younger models, the quality supervision bureau said.

Elevator owners and operators could face fines of up to 100,000 yuan (US$16,000) if they fail to allocate, and make public, a budget for maintenance of their machines. Similar penalties will apply to companies that employ unlicensed maintenance firms or fail to take the proper steps to remedy potential safety hazards.

Maintenance companies will also be fined for subcontracting repair work, failing to conduct routine checkups, using substandard replacement parts, or taking more than 30 minutes to respond to alarm calls from people stuck inside elevators.

Lift-makers will be required under the new rules to indicate the "durable life" of their machines and key components, while testing agencies that fabricate safety assessment reports could be fined up to 200,000 yuan.

Zhang Zhongyu, deputy director of the city's legislative affairs office, said there is a general lack of awareness of the need for elevator safety, while some maintenance workers lack the necessary technical skills.

There are currently about 63,000 elevators in operation in residential buildings across the city, of which about 5,000 have been in use for more than 15 years, he said.