Elevators constitute an integral part of high-rise buildings and as such safety of the elevators deserves special attention. The high-rise buildings are aplenty in the major cities of the country. It is likely to spread to other small towns also very soon. It is apparent that many more towering structures would emerge in the capital city in near future. To ensure safety of those upcoming buildings, the Bangladesh National Building Code (BNBC) was formulated. But sadly, no guideline was set for safety of elevators.
There were public outcries all over the country over collapses of buildings on few occasions. But no one pointed out the safety issue of elevators, although several people died as a result of elevator accidents. Getting stuck inside an elevator due to mechanical glitch or power outage, is probably the most common incident, but the authority seems to be quite indifferent about it. Auto-activated generators are crucial for safety of the occupants. As such, installation of auto-activated generators should be made mandatory.
Careful and regular maintenance can extend the life of elevators by at least 10 years before they are overhauled. As the elevator gets older the availability of spare parts and accessories become increasingly difficult due to its obsolescence. There is an increasing demand for elevators and their spare parts in the country. There is thus scope for local production of these materials.
Moreover, shortage of sound technical professionals in this field is adversely affecting the smooth operations of elevators. Therefore, educational institutions have a responsibility to develop skilled manpower ranging from elevator engineers to technicians.
Accidents and other complaints related to elevators are attributed to low quality and energy-inefficient elevators in many cases. Therefore, necessary measures should be undertaken to ensure import of quality and energy-efficient elevators. Since double-deck elevators occupy less building core space, priority should be given to these elevators in order to save time and space in high-occupancy buildings.
In addition to passenger elevators, at least one Bed Elevator should be installed to carry beds or stretchers for the sick in residential high-rise buildings.
In developed countries only one uniform rule is applied everywhere. But a uniform system is lacking in our country. For example, in some places, ground floor is indicated by 0 (zero), while in some other places it is indicated by either G or 1(one). Such mismatches are also found in designating basement floors also. Such practices not only lead to confusion and loss of time but also cause wastage of power consumption. Therefore, a standardised 'Elevator Button Panel' should be recommended with a 'cancel' button facility.
As an integral part of a building, uniform rules should be recommended regarding earthquake resiliency, capacity standards, fire standards, electrical wiring rules, medical emergency or Code Blue Service for hospitals, etc. Elevators should be brought under some clearly defined set of regulations which should comply with ASME A17.1 Safety Codes.
As the high-rise buildings are rapidly growing, proactive measures are necessary before the rot sets in, although such measures are long overdue. The authorities concerned should pull up their socks and introduce necessary rules and regulations immediately to ensure safety and uniformity of elevators all over the country.
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