Introduce Special Courses on Lift Safety, Says Expert

Hyderabad:Elevator expert Y.V.L.N. Murthy has called for a stringent legal framework and institutional mechanisms to enforce safety standards for elevators, following the Chandanagar lift accident in which a 43-year-old woman died.

Murthy, who served as an electrical engineer with the Indian Air Force and held positions elevator companies, said the government should establish a dedicated wing to oversee the safety of lifts, escalators and elevators in view of recurring incidents, particularly in Hyderabad.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, he pointed to a shortage of skilled manpower for maintenance and said specialised courses should be introduced in Advanced Technology Centres (ATCs), formerly ITIs, to train personnel.

"If necessary, the government can take the help of senior-level officers working in four major companies that were into installing and maintaining the lifts, escalators and elevators to train people at ATCs," he said.

Murthy also said resident welfare associations (RWAs) play a critical role in ensuring proper maintenance of lifts in residential buildings, and flagged negligence by flat owners’ associations and technicians in the Chandanagar case.

Speaking about the Chandanagar accident, Chandanagar sub-inspector D. Radhika said no caution board had been placed at the lift on the ground floor. The victim, identified as D. Anasuya, was unaware that the lift was under maintenance, opened the grill and stepped in, after which she got stuck, sustained serious injuries and later died.