ETNA FRANCE
Conception, fabrication, vente, installation et maintenance d'élévateurs de personnes et de monte-charge
ID: 391157835596-77
Lobbying Activity
Response to Revision of the Machinery Directive
13 Aug 2021
French manufacturer of lifting solutions for people or people and loads, under the Machinery Directive
We support the European Commission proposal for a EU Machinery Directive revision. We are convinced that no measure should be taken that would increase the limit of the speed of movement of the car, but that the limit of 0.15 m/s or less should be maintained. The Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU regulates the lifting of persons with a speed of more than 0.15 m/s and we do not agree with the modification of this lower limit. Indeed, apart from the important safety issues that would be imperative to address, increasing the speed limit would have a significant impact on the design and cost of products. However, we are convinced that this modification would not be of any real interest to the user of these machines, as the majority of these personnel lifting devices are used to travel one or two floors.
Concerning the definition of totally enclosed car, we are convinced that innovative solutions, reserved for personnel lifting equipment moving in a shaft totally enclosed on its sides, should be encouraged but that it should be demonstrated through a risk analysis that these innovative solutions provide at least an equivalent level of safety for the user and service engineers, and we strongly recommend that this analysis be systematically validated by a notified body. In other words, we consider it essential that an EC type-examination certificate be required by the supervisory authorities for the marketing of all personal lifting devices, regardless of the height covered by the car.
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