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The new rule for lifts in Spain that will affect 40 per cent of buildings

Spain has the most lifts per person in all of Europe, and most of them are scarily old

Elevators are a very necessary convenience in many of the high-rise apartment blocks in Spain, but next time you step inside one, think of this: more than 400,000 elevators in the country have been in service for upwards of 30 years.

Furthermore, Spain is the European country with the most lifts installed per person, and one of the top nations in the world to depend on these devices.

For these reasons, the Government is introducing strict new legislation that will force building owners to fork out up to 30,000 euros to bring between 35 and 40% of the nation’s elevators up to scratch.

What are the changes?

Javier de Pedro, Marketing Manager of the Duplex elevator company, explains that when the standard comes into force on July 1, all lifts will have to comply with the new safety requirements which include:

Improved levelling
Elevator users must be protected against the closing of doors during entry and exit
Likewise, people must be protected against sudden or uncontrolled movements in the elevator cabin
A two-way communication system must be installed in case of emergency.
Replacement of wooden or cylindrical guides
Implementation of load control devices to avoid exceeding the cabin weight limit

The new rules will mainly affect older lifts or ones that haven’t been serviced recently, as most of the newer ones are already fitted out with these safety devices as standard.

How much will the improvements cost?

The standards are going to hit pockets hard, but the overall outlay that communities of owners will have to make for improvements and modifications will vary widely. However, Mr de Pedro estimates that the cost will range anywhere from 800 euros for a simple two-way communication installation to 30,000 euros for the very complicated work of adapting the counterweight.

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Image: Freepik

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