Recently, the case of a 4-year-old boy in Trung Van ward, Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi fell into the elevator shaft because the door was opened. Why is that?
Existing “pains”
April 21, 2022, when V.H.D was playing on the 6th floor of a mini-apartment and leaned against the elevator door, suddenly the elevator door opened, causing D to fall down the shaft. When he fell to the 4th floor, he was trapped and there were no casualties. Lucky for the baby and the family. However, there has not been so much luck with others.
Back in 2015, at the Maritime University (Hai Phong), while waiting for the elevator on the 5th floor, student D.Y.T fell into the elevator door. The door opened, the unfortunate young man fell down the shaft and died.
There has been so much suffering, but how many similar incidents are we not aware of? It is clear that we are completely capable of preventing if we know the potential causes of these events!
The scene of the accident at Trung Van (Nam Tu Liem, Hanoi), the landing door was temporarily tied – Photo taken on the evening of April 21, 2022 by a reporter of Elevator Magazine
Why did the elevator door open?
Experts from the Vietnam Institute of Lift Engineering Application (VILEA) – Vietnam Elevator Association talk about the possible causes of the elevator door’s opening as follows:
QCVN 02:2019/BLDTBXH National technical regulation on occupational safety for elevators promulgated by the Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs has detailed regulations on technical dimensions, bearing capacity (static and dynamic),… requires the manufacturer to meet. However, in reality, there are many elevator products that the testing of technical regulations and standards has not been carried out but still sold on the market.
Summary of requirements on technical regulations (QCVN) and technical standards (TCVN) of Vietnam issued for elevator landing doors and related details
In the process of long-term use, the details and components associated with the landing door may be damaged (wear, oxidation, warping). There is no longer a “latch” to ensure safety, increasing the risk of the door being released when there is an impact force that causes people to fall into the shaft as happened.
Installation and maintenance process can also lead to the technical safety of the landing door. Installation does not match; arbitrarily adjust, omit some technical details or maintain superficially, do not have the capacity to assess the damage level to replace components; Forecasting skills, bad warnings, etc. can all become causes for the door to open.
In addition, periodic testing and inspection of elevators is very important to prevent accidents.
Video of testing elevator cabin doors in Europe
Human network can not be cheap!
Not only for users, but also accidents can happen to installers, rescuers. Recently, during the installation of an elevator at a construction site in Hanoi, an elevator installer from Hung Yen was killed due to serious errors in the implementation process.
It’s time for us to have a solution as well as a synchronous sense between the parties on the issue of elevator safety!
For manufacturers: it is not possible to reduce materials for cheap, use components that do not meet standards.
For installation and maintenance businesses: must train qualified and responsible staff to install safely and according to set standards.
For inspection agencies and state management agencies: it is necessary to step up and strengthen supervision and management of standards in the production, installation, maintenance and use of elevators. Products that do not meet the standards are not allowed to circulate on the market.
For the project management board of buildings: carry out maintenance in accordance with regulations; train technical forces to manage the building. Meet the requirements for supervision, operation,rescue of elevators. In addition, it is also necessary to stick enough warnings and instructions for users to know and implement.
At the landing door, there must be instructions, warnings
For consumers: need to be more knowledgeable, fastidious, and disciplined. Consumers need to understand correctly and enough about elevator products, avoid greed and buy products that do not have enough certificates of conformity and clear origin. Use assurance according to safety instructions, have an understanding of potential risks, how to deal with incidents, etc.
Improving production efficiency, reducing costs to have a cheap elevator for society is necessary, but human life must not be underestimated!
