Have you ever been stuck in a lift? Not even necessarily for a long time, maybe a minute or two, or the doors failed to open on the first try? We use lifts so much these days, especially as our buildings just keep getting taller and taller, that it’s probably happened to most of us on more than one occasion. But did you ever report it if it was just a minor delay or the lift sorted itself out? Probably not. As a lift company specialising in lift modernisation, lift repair and lift installations, we’re always keen to see how other parts of the world handle their lift safety and we found that in Korea, they take their lift safety very seriously indeed.
In Korea, any lift accident with a passenger on board is considered serious, no matter how trivial it may seem, and the elevator manager is obliged to notify the Korea Elevator Safety Institute (KESI). Any business or company who violates this law can be fined up to 5 million Won, which is just over £3000. Despite the law it’s found that lift accidents and incidents are commonly underreported with less than a quarter being filed to KESI. In fact, a hotel has recently been accused of covering up a lift incident where two passengers were locked in a lift for 10 minutes. No one was reported injured at Conrad Seoul but they could still face a fine for leaving the incident unreported.
It’s great to hear of other countries taking their lift maintenance, lift repairs and overall lift related services so seriously. Maybe it’s time for Sheridan Lifts to expand to the East? Maybe not, but you’d be the first to know!