Closing the distance between Europe and China

In September 2020, an information note about international standards for the safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts was prepared by the European Lift Association (ELA) and the Chinese Elevator Association (CEA).

By Christian de Mas Latrie

The ISO 8100-1 and ISO 8100-2 information note by itself goes a long way towards providing guidance on how to interpret these particular international standards. Moreover, this successful project was only the first of a long list of prioritized tasks designed to collectively advance the interests of the global lift market.

The need for cooperation

On April 24th, 2019, ELA and CEA, represented by their respective presidents, Roberto Zappa and Li Shoulin, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the basis of equality and mutual benefit.

The MoU is designed to promote and strengthen cooperation between the two associations, with the aim of reaching mutual understanding of positions on specific issues relating to energy and environment, standardization, safety and accessibility.

The history of European & Chinese cooperation

Ever since the 1990s, the idea to spread global use of the European standards EN 81-1 for electric passenger and EN 81-2 for hydraulic passenger lifts was in the minds of experts. ISO TC178, the technical committee for lifts and escalators, therefore decided to launch a project in this direction. Both these standards, particularly EN 81-1, were already used as a reference for the lift industries of many countries outside Europe as they were relatively easy to apply.

The World Elevator Congress 2019 was organised jointly by ELA and CEA. Photo: © Grey Gale Creative Spark Design Partnership

In 1995, ISO TC178 set up and launched the Global Technical Barrier-Free Trade program, with the objective of developing ISO standards in support of technical and conformity assessment harmonization around the world. In 2005, a cooperation agreement was signed between CEN/TC10 and China’s standardization body SAC/TC196.

By 2016, these two European standards for lifts were revised in the frame of the final edition of the European lifts Directive No. 2014/33/EU (since renamed EN 81-20 & EN 81-50), and the participation of non-European countries was sought.

ELA and CEA want to join forces

ISO/TC 178 further enhanced its mission of harmonizing global lift standards by launching a process for the transformation of these EN 81-20 and -50 into EN ISO standards, hence EN ISO 8100-1 and EN ISO 8100-2, which covers both EN 81-20 and -50 scopes. This transformation is now underway between CEN TC10, the current leader and group responsible for these standards, and ISO/TC 178. By the end of the project, ISO/TC 178 will be the group leading and responsible.

Considering the huge lifts market in China and the interest of Chinese experts for European and ISO standards for lifts, ELA and CEA then decided to join forces with the goal of developing better and more frequent information exchange on topics of mutual interest.

The ISO 8100-1 and ISO 8100-2 task force

Among the priority topics established between ELA and CEA, the application of ISO 8100-1 and ISO 8100-2 was first on the list. The resulting "Information Note on the application of ISO 8100-1 and ISO 8100-2" provides background and rationale on requirements of the standards and guidance in line with good engineering practices that will foster a general understanding of the requirements.

An eye on global collaboration

The European and Chinese lift associations agreed to cooperate at the World Elevator Congress 2019 in Beijing. Photo: © Grey Gale Creative Spark Design Partnership

With the close of the first successful joint project, the next topics on the priority list include the Internet of Things (IoT), Conformity Assessment Procedures and guidelines on safe working on lifts and escalators.

ELA and CEA are committed to paving the way forward for greater cooperation and understanding between these two major representatives of the lifts, escalators and moving walks industry. Indeed, it is even possible that the current global federation (the World Elevator and Escalator Federation), which is intended to promote worldwide cooperation and understanding, could at some point be turned into a global association with stronger shared objectives to move the vision of global cooperation further forward in the future.

For this global vision to become a reality, more associations, SMEs and technical experts are needed to contribute to the cross-regional discourse and efforts to improve mutual understanding. To get involved with the industry-shaping work of ELA through its various committees and working groups, please get in touch here: ela-aisbl.eu/index.php/contact.

The author is Convenor of the Task Group ELA/CEA at the European Lift Association

More information: The CEA, based in Lang Fang, China, is the main national lift association, with more than 500 members, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The size of the Chinese lift market is quite staggering; according to 2020 figures, China has an estimated eight million lifts in operation, with over 700,000 new units installed per year.