I AM FIGHTING FOR THE CAUSE OF LIFT RELATED ACCIDENTS CITING EXAMPLE OF VARIOUS LIFT RELATED FATAL & NON FATAL ACCIDENTS AS MENTION BELOW:-
a) 26th February 2010 saw another accident MR. UMASHSHANKAR SHARMA, who died in a lift mishap in a Mumbai hotel Sea Lord at P. D’ Mello Road.
b) In Achal Avichal Chanchal Co-op Hsg Soc. Ltd, Kalyan Complex, Yari Road, Andheri [w] on 22nd December 2009 the lift carrying MR. MOHAMMED FAROOQ REHMAN shook violently against the walls & railings with a deafening sound. The Alarm buttons system also was not functional. It was found that the lock of the inner grill door was broken due to lack of preventive maintenance. Mr Rehman was trapped in the lift for an hour and had to be rescued. The lift grill door was changed very soon after the incident.
c) SIX FIRE BRIGADE PERSONAL FROM THE WAGLE ESTATE FIRE STATION IN THANE DIED in the lift as doors in Punarvasu building, Tarangan Housing Complex, failed to open on 18th Oct 2009.
d) Fatal accident of a 24 year old boy, the only son of one MR. PRAKASH PAI who died at bhagwati house on 10th May 2005.
e) Film Maker Mahesh Bhatt was caught in an elevator mishap at Apsara Apartments, Bandra, along with AHSAAN KHAN, brother of Dilip Kumar, on morning of Wednesday 25th May 2005, when he went to get a last glimpse of Sunil Dutt.
Lifts are means of vertical transport and the percentage of accidents in comparison with other means of transport is very small.”But this is no consolation for those who have lost a loved one in a lift accident”. SAFETY OF HUMAN LIVES CANNOT BE QUANTIFIED.
TOTAL NO. OF LIFTS IN ENTIRE MAHARASHTRA TILL DATE AS PER PWD RECORDS – 78,550.
TOTAL NO. OF LIFTS IN MUMBAI & MUMBAI SUBURBS – 45,770.
TOTAL NO. OF LIFTS IN THANE -- 13,127
TOTAL NO. OF LIFTS IN PUNE – 14,417
TOTAL NO. OF LIFTS other than Gr. Mumbai, Thane & Pune -- 5,226.
TOTAL -- 78,550.
There are 78,550 lift registered with the P.W.D Electrical Inspectors of Lift in the whole of Maharashtra as on today and against this there are only 11 Engineers to take inspection of Lifts. Every year 5500 new lifts get registered. As per section 11 of the Bombay Lift Act 1939 as well as per section 3.4.2 of the Bombay Lifts Rule 1958, it is mandatory on the part of the authorized officials to visit & inspect the lift conditions twice in a year.
With the difference in the Nos. of Lifts registered with PWD Electrical Inspectors of Lift and the Engineers available for inspection of all lifts in the entire state of Maharashtra, it will take about 7 years to inspect all 78,550 lifts once a year, forget about inspection of all lifts twice in each year. It is humanly not possible to inspect all lifts.
IMPORTANT ISSUES.
1. Inadequate Engineers to inspect 78,550 lifts registered in the entire state of Maharashtra. I have written to CM, PWD Minister, PWD Secretary & Energy Secretary and there has been no response so far. I have filed an 48 hrs RTI Application and still there was no response, then just today I have filed a Complaint with the State Information Commission u/s 18 of the RTI Act 2005.
2. I hold the Managing Committee & the Lift Maintenance Contractor equally responsible for lift related fatal and Non fatal accidents. Flat members pay the Lift maintenance charges through the Managing Committee. The lift maintenance contractor is given the Annual Maintenance Contract AMC to service the lifts 12 times in a year. As per the Act it is mandatory on the part of the lift contractor to pen down the defects found during the servicing of the lift each month into the log book maintained in the Society office. Once the defects are brought to the notice of the Chairman, it is his duty to make the funds available for immediately repairs. Members keep complaining and major defects are not attended. The lift maintenance contractor simply says that I have given the defects in writing to the Managing Committee, but they are not taking note of it, secondly as mandated as per the act each flat member should have the telephone No of the contractor. It’s a proven fact that when PWD Engineers when they come for inspection, the contractor gives false information to the engineer, who then prepares the report.
3. We citizens are also responsible for misusing the lifts.
i) We overload the lift. If the capacity is for 4 people, 6 people try to travel.
ii) We transport construction debris in the lifts when warned against doing so.
iii) We steal the intercom instruments.
iv) We deface the interior of the lifts.
v) We temper with the lift buttons & there many other things that we do.
4. There has to be Consumer awareness program to be undertaken by the PWD educating the Managing Committee members as well as the Flat members in case of Lift accidents.
RULES:
· A load plate giving the rated load of passenger lift has to be fixed inside the lift giving the No of persons to be accommodated and weight of single passenger.
· An emergency alarm signal, which can be operated by a push button in the lift and which is audible outside the lift to draw attention if one is struck in the lift due to breakdown or Power shut down.
· A battery operated unit has to be provided inside the lift for light & alarm in case of power failure.
· A battery operated Telephone should be provided inside the lift. Such instruments are often stolen and therefore an inbuilt push button and talk system should be in place.
· A log book should be maintained for every lift, recording details of repairs and maintenance as per the 12 Services carried out by the lift contractor/ maintenance agencies.
· It is mandatory to have generators in high rise building above 24 meters.
“NONE OF THE RULES ARE BEING FOLLOWED BY MAJORITY OF LIFT OWNERS”
SUGESSIONS SOLICITED FROM LAWYERS AND TECHNICAL PERSONALS FROM THE LIFT INDUSTRY TO MAKE THE PRAYERS WATER TIGHT FOR THE PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION [PIL]
