EM – 30 years ago, Korea had the same starting point as Vietnam in terms of elevator safety management capacity. However, up until now, Korea is a country with a comprehensive assessment of elevator safety management. Therefore, learning from Korea’s government management experience in the field of elevator safety and quality is very appropriate and can shorten the time to perfect Vietnam’s management capacity in this field.
Korea ranks 7th in the world for elevator safety management
Elevators in Korea are managed quite comprehensively on the basis of the Law on Safety Management of Equipment and Elevators. All manufacturing enterprises and elevator maintenance enterprises must be qualified and licensed by the governing ministry to operate. Safety inspection, testing and product certification are performed and managed by a single agency, KoELSA. Regarding regulations, the elevator safety management process in the inspection and testing of elevator product certification is quite similar to the current regulations of Vietnam.
Statistics of human resources in the Korean elevator and escalator industry
KoELSA is the only Korean agency specializing in elevator safety management (a subsidiary of the Ministry of Interior and Safety), established based on merging with the Korea Elevator Safety Institute (KESI). and Korea Elevator Safety Technology Institute (KEST) on July 1, 2016 under the Elevator and Equipment Safety Management Act. This agency is responsible for the safety inspection of elevators and equipment with strict safety requirements; managing elevator data nationwide; researching, developing, developing standards and regulations on safety and elevator technology, testing and certifying safety for elevator products and components; training experts, technical workers; ensuring elevator safety for operators… The agency has 1,646 employees, manages 796,361 elevators in operation, 280 manufacturing and importing enterprises, 900 maintenance businesses, about 25,000 employees working in the elevator field and the market size is about 28 billion USD.
The delegation of the Ministry of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Vietnam Elevator Association (VNEA) worked with KoELSA in Korea. 4th from the right – VNEA Chairman Nguyen Hai Duc
Any reference for Vietnam’s elevator industry?
Currently, the number of new elevators installed annually in Vietnam is about 20,000 to 25,000. Along with the development, the situation of accidents and incidents in the installation, maintenance and operation of elevators tends to increase because workers in the field of elevators have not been trained in occupational safety and suitable professional skills; The problem of ensuring the quality of elevators in Vietnam according to the standards also poses a difficult problem when there is no qualified testing facility in Vietnam to test elevator safety components. This is also the common opinion of the Department of Occupational Safety and the Vietnam Elevator Association after a recent business trip to Korea.
At the working places, the delegation was introduced, consulted and exchanged safety management policies, elevator quality; occupational health and safety management in the installation, operation, use, maintenance and repair of elevators in Korea.
The delegation also visited KoELSA’s elevator safety test facility at Geochang and Korea Elevator College… At the elevator safety test facility, the delegation exchanged and shared Korea’s experiences on test procedures, elevator certification and elevator safety components. The elevator testing facilities are very modern and complete for government management. The delegation witnessed the impact test process for the elevator door, the bearing capacity of the wire rope, the buffering and the number of times of opening and closing of safety brake… It is known that Vietnam currently has not had these important elevator test rooms.
Elevator door crash test video
The two sides also discussed policies on improving the quality of human resources, developing professional skills for elevators, proposing cooperation activities, transferring science and technology, and training programs on elevator accident investigation, testers, inspectors, technicians…
Korea is a country with a culture quite similar to Vietnam. Therefore, learning from Korea’s government management experience in the field of elevator safety and quality is very appropriate and can shorten the time to perfect Vietnam’s management capacity.
In such a context, to promote the current state management of elevator safety and quality in Vietnam, there are “revolutionary” issues that need a roadmap soon.
Firstly, it is necessary to study and develop a plan to improve the system of legal documents on occupational safety and health, product quality, and national technical regulations in the direction of strict management of organizations, manufacturing, importing, inspecting, certifying and testing elevators; specific and clear regulations for ease of application and implementation, contribute to promoting the development of the elevator manufacturing industry in Vietnam; develop regulations as the basis for digital transformation in the safety management of elevators and equipment with strict safety requirements.
Secondly, survey and study the plan to upgrade the existing database system or build database software for elevator management in Vietnam, and human resource management in the elevator and escalator industry.
Thirdly, it is necessary to develop a mechanism to promote the Vietnam Elevator Association (VNEA) to invest in an elevator safety testing system in Vietnam to serve government management. There is a cooperation mechanism with the Korean elevator safety agency in improving the quality of training for employees, technicians, inspectors and transferring training programs to Vietnam; promoting cooperation in transferring elevator safety testing technology system to Vietnam; assisting in building and upgrading elevator safety management software and equipment with strict safety requirements./.
