PAGE 2 LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014

I am very pleased to report that LEIA isemerging from the long recession withits membership at an all-time high,despite the major impact of theeconomic downturn on the lift andescalator industries. This strength innumbers provides the resources andsupport to help the Association addressthe important issues facing the sector,issues that are highlighted by LEIA’s VicePresident Kevin Taylor in his column, (seepage 9).

In an upturn, one of the challenges formany businesses is having sufficientnumbers of trained and qualified staff,particularly as demographics indicate

end of 2014 those members with 100+employees achieved OHSAS 18001accreditation. This year we are looking tomembers with 11 – 99 field workers tobe accredited. LEIA will offer support tosuch companies in rising to thischallenging but very important target.

When preparing this review, I was struckby the recurring theme of persuasion andlobbying in bringing about change. It isof course a key task for anyrepresentative body to be the advocatefor its membership, but in these days ofconstant communication we must alsobe aware of the need to inform andinfluence others, not only those in our

industry but also clients, customers,users and those stakeholders whoinfluence how we operate ourbusinesses.

LEIA has been closely involved with theSpecialist Engineering Contractors (SEC)Group in lobbying the English, Scottish,Welsh and Northern Ireland Parliamentson Payment and PQQ. The findings ofthe Group’s survey of local authoritiesrecord of payment, PQQ and retention,presented at the Houses of Parliament inFebruary this year, are covered in thearticle opposite. A copy of the reportitself is on the LEIA website.

In conclusion, membership commitmentis just as important as membershipnumbers and LEIA is very fortunate inhaving a body of people who worktirelessly within the Association’scommittees. During the last 12 months,every committee has held seminars andforums covering their specialist fields,informing and updating members andinfluencing how the information isapplied.

I would like to thank those involved forthe continuous work that goes onbehind the scenes and which is notalways recognised. In particular I amvery pleased at the award presented toIan Jones, it was well deserved for thevery challenging and complex task heundertakes within BSI on behalf of theindustry (see page 11).

From the Managing Director“It was listening to a haulagecontractor, who came into my surgery totell me why he was going bust, that setme on the path to change the scandalof late payment to small and mediumbusinesses,” says MP Debbie Abrahams,shown centre right speaking in February2015 at the launch of the SpecialistEngineering Contractors (SEC) Groupreports into payment practices by thepublic sector.

Debbie Abraham’s conversation with thehaulier in her Oldham and Saddleworthconstituency was back in 2011 and shehas worked tirelessly ever since,challenging big business, setting up anAll Party Inquiry into the issue, workingwith the Federation of Small Business topublish a hard hitting report withrecommendations in 2013 andsupporting groups like SEC determinedto bring about change.

SEC is a staunch advocate for itsmembers, reminding business andgovernment alike that it represents thelargest sector of the UK constructionindustry by value. As President of SEC,Lord O’Neill of Clackmannan haspointed out, the SEC Group hascampaigned tenaciously with officials inCabinet Office and the BusinessDepartment to develop the innovativeconcept of project bank accounts and torationalize pre-qualificationquestionnaires, known as PAS91, inconjunction with the British Standards

Institution and the construction industry.

However, making recommendations andsetting up processes is only the start. Itis behaviour change, as well as attitudechange, that is necessary to bring aboutactual change. In addition, it isimportant to measure impact andprogress, in order to see what worksand how best to maximize results andresources.

There has been encouraging progress inthe extent to which project bankaccounts are being used for centralgovernment construction procurement,but there was little response when SECGroup carried out a voluntary survey

Champions for the cause

that the number of experienced peopleretiring from the industry will increase. Inresponse, the number of apprenticesbeing recruited is rising. To supportmembers in this, a group at LEIA issubmitting an application for aTrailblazer route under the schemelaunched by the Department forBusiness, Innovation and Skills todevelop employer-led apprentice trainingprogrammes.

The Association is also raising the bar onSafety Standards in the industry. At the

...I was struck by the recurringtheme of persuasion andlobbying in bringing aboutchange.

TERRY POTTER,LEIA MANAGING DIRECTOR

LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014 PAGE 3

kind, sought to interrogate the paymentand pre-qualification practices of localauthorities, NHS Trusts, and Police andFire Authorities. The results arepresented in seven reports, coveringEngland and Wales, together withindividual reports for each of thedevolved nations.

FindingsThe first report to be published,Payment Practices and Pre-Qualificationin Public Sector Construction, coveringEngland and Wales, highlights the lackof a uniform approach. Whilst somepublic bodies are putting measures inplace such as contractual terms andKPIs, and there are a few enthusiasts forproject bank accounts, progress remainsslow with a large majority of publicbodies failing to take any measures toimprove cash flow in constructionsupply chains.

Supporting the proposal made in May2013 by the Department for Business,Innovation and Skills for legislation tostandardize requirements relating topayment and pre-qualification, thereport contains a number ofrecommendations as to the content ofsuch legislation, some of which areconstruction specific. In particular, SECGroup calls for the establishment of anOffice of the Public ProcurementOmbudsman, who would have overallresponsibility for driving greaterefficiencies in public procurement

through promoting best practice andremoving barriers that increase the costto small businesses of accessingopportunities for work in the publicsector, wherever they happen to be inthe supply chain.

The issue of retentions is another thornin the flesh for construction companies,and once again Debbie Abrahams ischampioning the sector. In moving anamendment to the Small Business Billwhich was instigated by the SEC Group,she said in the first ever debate in theHouse of Commons in January, “Irecognise that the Department forBusiness, Innovation and Skills has saidin its Construction supply chain paymentcharter that it wishes to abolishretentions by 2025. My new clause,however, is a stepping-stone towardsthat, by requiring the publication ofcompanies’ policies, practices andperformance on retention monies,reviewing this and subsequently makingrecommendations about further actionto help secure and protect retentionmonies for small businesses – in trust,for example.”

A successful construction industrydepends on fair payment andprocurement systems. The SEC Group isdemonstrating the importance ofeffective networking, evidence basedadvocacy and well placed champions inbringing about the changes that areneeded.

amongst non-central government publicbodies. So the Group decided to use theFreedom of Information Act in order toassess the extent to which the widerpublic sector has embedded projectbank accounts and the prequalificationquestionnaire PAS91.

The survey, believed to be the first of its

Roll up, roll up for LIFTEX 2016

A year to go before the industry’s major exhibition takes place at London’s ExCeland space is selling fast for LIFTEX 2016. LEIA’s Nick Mellor is delighted to seetargets exceeded and is now focusing on developing the seminar programme thatwas such a success when introduced at Liftex 2013.

Figures from the last event are persuasive: 85% of visitors were planning to buylifts or related products over the next year; 96% planned to visit the next event;97% of exhibitors said they planned to attend again in 2016 – hence the buoyantbookings. Some are committing to attend, with a much larger presence than inprevious years.

With 50% of available space already taken, and many new companies joining theevent, it looks certain that ExCeL London from 25-26 May 2016 will be the placeto be for professionals with any involvement in the lift, escalator and accessindustry.

Full details and downloadable sales brochure can be found athttp://www.liftex2016.com.

When the go-ahead for Crossrail was given, backin 2004, it was rightly heralded as one of the mosttransformative UK construction projects of thedecade. Providing a fast, frequent, 100kmtransportation link from Reading in the west,through new tunnels under Central London out toShenfield in the east, Crossrail will link London’skey employment, leisure and business districts -Heathrow, West End, the City, Docklands.

Accessibility is the name of the game, combiningnew track and tunnels and linking with existingtransport infrastructure, to bring an extra 1.5million people to within 45 minutes of centralLondon. Accessibility is also highlighted in thetransport strategy for Transport for London (TfL),particularly for passengers with impaired mobility,for those carrying bulky luggage and peopletravelling with families. This strategy hasencouraged innovative approaches to ease ofmovement within the stations, with particular

relevance to the lift and escalator sectors.

For example, the first incline lifts in the UK publictransport sector are being installed by KONE at theCrossrail stations at Farringdon and LiverpoolStreet, where it is not possible to install verticallifts because of the buildings above ground level,and at Greenford station. Running alongside theescalators, the incline lifts will enable passengerswith wheelchairs, buggies and heavy luggage tomove more easily from the platform to street level.

Such step-free access, whether between platformand train, between entrance and exit, and atinterchanges with other underground andoverground rail services, has been a core policy ofthe Crossrail plan from the beginning. So when itbecame known two years ago that seven of the

On the level

PAGE 4 LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014

stations on the Crossrail route were to be excludedfrom the policy of step-free access, it was perhapsnot surprising that strong reactions were triggeredamongst local people. Supported by theaccessibility charity Transport for All, a campaignwas launched to change the policy and ensure thatthere was accessibility to all stations on the newtransport link.

In August 2013, one year after the successfulParalympics in London, protestors and Paralympictorchbearers travelled together from four of theseven Crossrail stations excluded from the step-freeaccess programme - Hanwell, Seven Kings, ManorPark and Maryland. They then held a rally outside

Such step-free access...has been a corepolicy of the Crossrail plan from thebeginning.

ARCHITECT’S IMPRESSION OF WHITECHAPEL STATION, WHICH WILLPROVIDE STEP-FREE INTERCHANGE BETWEEN THE CROSSRAIL, HAM-MERSMITH AND CITY, DISTRICT AND OVERGROUND LINES.

the Crossrail offices at Canary Wharf in eastLondon, reminding the company of itscommitments and pointing out that the cost ofincluding the seven stations in step-free accesswas relatively very modest – representing only0.02 per cent of the overall budget of £15bn.

Their arguments were heard by Crossrail’ssponsors, Transport for London (TfL) and theDepartment for Transport (DfT), who undertook toinvestigate how to incorporate full accessibility atthe seven stations omitted from the plan. Within ayear, a report was published outlining how thismight be achieved, followed by an announcementin October 2014 that TfL and the Mayor of Londonhad obtained £19m funding to make the fourLondon stations step free. A month later it wasannounced that the DfT would provide the fundingto create step free access at the three remainingstations of Taplow, Langley and Iver inBuckinghamshire.

Delighted at the success of its two year campaign,Transport for All’s Lianna Etkind said, “We arethrilled by the news that Crossrail’s Londonstations will now be accessible – a truly publictransport system.”

She also took the opportunity to point out that 203of London’s 270 tube stations were “out ofbounds to anyone who can’t do stairs”, leavingmany disabled people struggling to travel to work,visit friends and family, and get out and about inthe capital.

This message was also heard. TfL and London”sMayor Boris Johnson have announced a new £75million fund they say will speed up the rate atwhich the capital’s Tube network is madeaccessible.

The fund will enable new lifts at around a dozenmore stations over the next 10 years, and will be inaddition to the 28 London Underground andLondon rail stations which TfL had alreadycommitted to making step-free by 2024. The newfunding will be used to match contributions fromlocal councils and property developers forimprovements to step-free access.

So thanks to the determination and informedargument of a user-led, small charity, the sponsorsof the largest construction project in Europe took agood hard look at how they could, in the words ofLondon Underground’s Managing Director MikeBrown, “embed accessibility at the heart of thecity’s transport network. “

An outline of the preferred ‘practical, workablesolutions’ that could be implemented at theremaining seven stations on the Crossrail routethat are currently not step-free:

Ë Seven Kings: A new footbridge with threelifts and stairs, accessed from a walkway on theembankment south of platform one

Ë Maryland: Three lifts inside the existingbuilding

Ë Manor Park: A new footbridge with threelifts and stairs

Ë Hanwell: Lifts to both platforms with thefinal scheme under review with Ealing and Eng-lish Heritage

Ë Iver: Two new lifts on existing footbridgewith a long ramp to platform one which is occa-sionally used by Crossrail services

Ë Langley: A new footbridge with three liftsand stairs

Ë Taplow: A new footbridge with two lifts andstairs

ARCHITECT’S IMPRESSION OF EALING BROADWAY STATION, WHICH WILL FEATURE A LARGER ENTRANCE AREA, WITH NEW LIFTS AND STAIRCASESTO PROVIDE STEP-FREE ACCESS.

TRANSPORT FOR ALL CAMPAIGNERS AT CROSSRAIL OFFICES.

TRANSPORT FOR ALL CAMPAIGNERS CELEBRATING VICTORY AT HANWELL STATION.

ARCHITECT’S IMPRESSION OF THE INCLINE LIFT AT LIVERPOOL STREET

LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014 PAGE 5

PAGE 6 LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014

A significant new regulation has come intoforce to ensure that specialist subcontractors in the construction sector arepaid within 30 days. The statutory guidancealso advises that project bank accounts(PBAs) are a practical example of howpayments can be made quickly to suppliersand should be used where appropriate. Butthe regulation should be read with care inorder to understand both its benefits and itsburdens. And as ever, clarity over when theclock starts ticking is of the essence.

Under the new Public Contracts Regulations2015 contracting authorities (i.e. all publicbodies except maintained schools andacademies) must have in their contracts anobligation to pay their contractors within 30days. The 30 days commence from the dateon which an invoice is ‘regarded as validand undisputed’. The 30 day paymentobligation must be included in sub-contractsand sub-sub-contracts. If it is not expressedin contracts/sub-contracts the Regulationsstate that it will be an implied obligation.

Verification of invoices must be done in a‘timely fashion’; undue delay is no excusefor failing to regard an invoice as valid andundisputed.

Regulation 113 does not affect anystatutory/contractual obligation to paywithin a shorter period.

ScopeThe Regulations apply to all constructioncontracts, sub-contracts and sub-sub-contracts involving the carrying out of anyworks, supplying any products or providingany services. Unfortunately (despite aconsiderable amount of advice given to theCabinet Office by the Specialist Engineering

determining that an invoice is “valid andundisputed”. Furthermore the paymentprocess in construction is usuallycommenced by a payment applicationrather than an invoice.

The Construction Act requires thatconstruction contracts have: Ë payment due dateË final date for payment

Within 5 days of the due date a paymentnotice must be issued (either by the payer orpayee). The notice defines the amount to bepaid by the final date for payment. Thisamount must be paid unless prior to thefinal date a pay less notice has been issued;in which case the amount in that noticemust be paid. All notices must be valid inthat they have been issued by the correctparty, contain the basis of the calculationand are issued on time.

There is also a statutory default procedurewhich “kicks in” when the paying party failsto issue a payment notice (althoughrequired to do so under the contract orScheme for Construction Contracts). If theparty carrying out the work has generallyissued a payment application theapplication becomes the payment notice.

Timing is everythingThe key issue, therefore, is when does the30 day period commence? Let’s consider

the scenario above which follows thetraditional payment process:

A payment application is submitted a weekprior to the payment due date. Not laterthan 5 days after the payment due datethe paying party is required to issue apayment notice. Given that a week plus 5days should qualify as a reasonable timefor assessing the application as “valid andundisputed” the 30 days is likely tocommence from the expiry of the 5 days.Any pay less notice will have to be issuedbefore the expiry of the 30 days.

The 30 days, therefore, should start fromthe expiry of 5 days following the duepayment date (where the paying party isrequired to issue a payment notice).

Non-compliance If payment is made late (i.e. after 30 days)

Laying down the law on 30 day payment

statutory interest becomes payable. Alsolate payment can be reported to theMystery Shopper service run by theCabinet Office, which will name andshame any suppliers that are proved to bepoor payers.

The Regulations require public bodies toreport annually – via the internet – ontheir payment performance to tier 1suppliers.

SEC Group advice to lift manufacturers.You should now check the payment termsin all your contracts and sub-contractswhen beginning to work on public sectorprojects. Make sure that they all providefor 30 day payments. Be aware! The 30days also applies to your downstreamsub-contractors.

Prof Rudi Klein, CEO of SEC Group

PROF RUDI KLEIN, CEO OF SEC GROUP

Payment applicationissued by the party

carrying out the workand received by paying

party

Payment notice issued by

paying party

Final datefor

payment

Paymentdue date

Contractors (SEC) Group) the Regulationsdo not easily relate to the paymentprocedures in Part II of the Housing Grants,Construction and Regeneration Act 1996(as amended) – the Construction Act.

In construction contracts (within scope ofthe Construction Act) payment timing andentitlement is dependent upon theoperation of the statutory payment noticeprocedure – not on a process of

David Warr has been doing a sterling jobfor LEIA, not only balancingmanagement of his company TitanElevators with being President of theAssociation, but also by extending thisrole for a third year when the next in linefor President was unable to take up thereins.

So how does he feel about what hasbeen achieved in his term of office?Echoing the views of other LEIAcommittee members who believe thatachieving change demands participation,David feels strongly about taking anactive role in the industry he joined as alad straight from school. His personalexperience is a key reason for leading theemployer group applying to develop

The tricky issue of classifying engineeringqualifications – the requirement forbecoming chartered, for example – hascaused some difficulties for an industrythat regards as electrical, electronic,mechanical and hydraulic engineering asthe core skills required. There are similarissues around the definition of technician.However, it is hoped that an appropriatetitle will shortly be agreed with theDepartment for Business, Innovation andSkills (BIS).

The other important issue is to ensurethat the value of the apprentice standardfor lifts and escalators is recognized byother specialist sectors. “If we don’t takeco-ordinated action on this, we run therisk of our requirements being absorbedin the standards developed by other

groups and having no influence onmaking them appropriate for our ow n,”warns David Warr.

The Apprentice Trailblazer scheme isclearly going to be a major activity forDavid before handing over thePresidency to Kevin Taylor ofThyssenKrupp. But like Kevin, David isconcerned about the impact of therecession on tender prices in the industryand the pressure on lift companies cutprices to an unrealistic level – often bythird parties rather than the client.

“I have been fortunate recently inwinning contracts without being thelowest price, working with clients whounderstand a realistic cost structure andwho are concerned about appropriatequality. But when lift companies winwork by putting in an unrealistic price,not only does this lower the bar foreveryone else, but also clients will notget proper service and maintenance willbe minimal. The reputation of ourindustry depends on getting this issueresolved.”

So still plenty left to do, but as DavidWarr points out, he may be steppingdown as President but he will remain onthe LEIA Board and intends to remainpart of the committed band work tomaintain standards and driveprogression.

Counting the cost

LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014 PAGE 7

Lawrence Dooley is a busy man. The impactof LEIA taking over the Distance Learningprogramme from the University ofNorthampton in order to keep it affordablefor the industry, following the government’sfunding changes, gives him and the LEIAExaminations Administrator, PatriciaLarkman, three cohorts to manage eachyear. “Candidate numbers are runningbetween 80 and 100 and areexpected to increase as thenew system becomes morefamiliar, “ he says.

But apart from themanagement tasks, co-ordinating the start and enddates and supervising tests,Lawrence Dooley is committedto introducing improvedassessment techniques andcurricula to reflect the needsof the people and the industry.

“We realized that the examinationenvironment does not help everyone todemonstrate their ability fully, so we havedeveloped an additional way of testingknowledge,” Lawrence explains. Coursework allows candidates to researchquestions and respond on line, so theconcept has been expanded with the newSupplementary Compensation testdeveloped with Phillip Andrew, LEIA’s

Non stop learning

educational consultant and introduced in2014.

‘Borderline’ candidates who have scoredabove 60% but below the 70% pass markare given two weeks to answer anadditional set of questions. “This givesable, experienced people the opportunity ofdemonstrating their ability outside theexamination environment,” says Lawrence.

Work is also under way ondeveloping a specific NVQfor the lift and escalatorindustry, combining distancelearning units and practicaltraining modules at theNational Lift Tower researchand development facility inNorthampton. LEIA isworking with EAL, thequalification awarding andverifying organisation for the

engineering and manufacturing sector.

So a busy year ahead with thedevelopment of enhanced education andtraining, not to mention the employer-ledApprentice Trailblazer programmespecifically designed to reflect the multi-faceted technical elements required for thelift and escalator industry. So Lawrence willhave plenty to trigger discussion in theseminar sessions at next year’s majorindustry event, Liftex 2016.

...ensure that the value of theapprentice standard for liftsand escalators is recognizedby other specialist sectors.

DAVID WARR, LEIA PRESIDENT

standards under the government’sApprenticeship Trailblazer scheme.

“It is essential that we ensure theparticular skills required for lift andescalator installation and maintenance arerecognized, not only as being appropriatefor the industry’s needs but also to ensurethat this apprenticeship training isrecognized by other sectors in engineeringand construction,” says David.

TRAINING AT THE NATIONAL LIFT TOWER

As chairman of the Personal Lift Group(PLG) of LEIA, Craig Pilkington takes both apositive and a pragmatic view of his sectorof the industry. “Our business is a verydifferent one to the passenger lift side ofthe industry,” he comments. “Contracts aregenerally not on the same scale – wecertainly don’t get involved in work on thescale of the Crossrail project, for example.”

He points out that PLG companies rarelyare involved in brand new projects, andgenerally are more involved in improvingaccessibility within existing buildings. Thismeans many more projects a year than themajor lift companies, but at far smallervalues. “Typically a big project for us isaround £40,000, whilst at the other end ofthe scale, under a £1000.00. We work inpeople’s homes or public buildings such asrestaurants, banks, department stores, andtheatres.” One of the challenges in makingolder buildings accessible is to not tocompromise the design and style of theoriginal building fabric.

Craig believes the PLG profile was a benefitduring the economic downturn. “We havecome through the recession reasonablywell, the PLG sector was largely unaffectedby the downturn in major projects.”Moreover, he sees that British basedcompanies in the PLG have the advantageof operating in a market that is more

mature than others in Europe – and onewhich still has growth potential.

“We are a country with long establishedlegislation on disability discrimination. TheDisability Discrimination Act (DDA) becamelaw in 1995, but Norway for example didnot introduce theirs until 2008, and France

only in 2010. So the export market hasbecome an important opportunity, andmany of the PLG members are very active.”

Internationalism is a recurring theme, as isthe importance of representation andadvocacy. Craig sees the internationalnetwork as a very important part of the

PLG activity, and although the workloadincreases significantly when standards arebeing written, believes that it is essentialto have specialists on the relevantcommittees. Asked if it is difficult to findwilling participants, he acknowledges thatit tends to be the same people – and thebusiest people. But as he points out, if youdon’t get involved in writing standards,you can’t complain about the standardsthat you end up with.

The PLG is currently involved in reviewinga range of documents, for example PartM, Building Regulations amendments,and is part of the group looking at EN81-42 in relation to lifting platform with acabin. Others are involved in EN81-40and EN81-41.

So what are the challenges for the PLG forthe coming year? No new ones, hebelieves, but more of the same. Whilst theDDA may have been in place for 20 years,there is concern and frustration about itslack of teeth when it comes to achievingthe changes needed. “Around 70% ofpublic buildings remain inaccessible to thedisabled, including public buildings,churches, police stations andcourtrooms,” comments Craig. Whilst anumber of major businesses respond wellto the requirement, he is particularlyconcerned about the tendency for others

to ignore the requirement.

He is also concerned that under theDisabled Facilities Grant, demandcontinues to far outstrip funding despitethe fact that it has increased year on year(currently £220m). “We are living longer,however, not necessarily healthier andmobility is an increasing challengeparticularly for people who want to stayin their homes. This strengthens thecommitment of the PLG to maintainingactive and constructive relationships withlocal authorities, occupational therapistsand others involved in the sector.”

Finally, what is Craig’s personal viewpointas chairman of PLG? “ I probably havebanged the drum on this point since I firstbecame involved, but quite simply, themore people become members thestronger it makes us. It is vital to raisestandards, to maintain constant vigilanceto prevent serious accidents.

“At the same time, I believe that we mustfind a mechanism for LEIA to involvesmaller companies, those with only five orsix employees, whilst maintaining hightechnical and professional standards. It isimportant to create an environmentwhere small businesses, as well as largerones, can benefit from networking andprofessional development.”

Up close and personal

PAGE 8 LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014

CLOCKWISE, LEFT TO RIGHT: DEPARTMENT STORE, CAR SHOWROOM, POLICE STATION IN FRANCE, DOMESTIC BRIDGE.

LEIA is delighted to announce that NickMellor, the Association’sTechnical Director, has beenappointed Visiting Fellow at theUniversity of Northampton(UoN), recognised as theleading higher educationestablishment for liftengineering courses.

Nick Mellor will deliver hisinaugural lecture on 22September, the day before the start of the 5thSymposium on Lift & Escalator Technologiestaking place at the UoN and which attractsindustry experts from around the world.

From this year LEIA is co-organiser of thesymposium, with The School of Science andTechnology at theUniversity ofNorthampton andthe CharteredInstitution of BuildingServices Engineers(CIBSE) Lifts Group .

Nick Mellor haspresented technicalpapers at the last two symposiums, mostrecently on the implications of the newstandard EN 81-50 on lift systemcalculations, with particular reference toequations for guide rails, rope traction and

LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014 PAGE 9

Kevin Taylor, LEIA Vice President, hasbeen involved with the Association formany years, in fact since its days as theNational Association of Lift Makers(NALM). When we meet, he produces acopy of the LEIA Review of 1999, andopens it at a double page spreadfeaturing interviews with a number ofindustry personalities including himself.What has changed in the past 15 years,he muses.

Facilities management had barely begunto make its mark then, but the boom/bustscenario is familiar. There has beenanother recession and a global economiccrisis, with the dramatic reduction inconstruction activity that inevitablyimpacted on the lift and escalator sector.The challenge now, he thinks, is dealingwith the consequences of theunrealistically low tenders submittedthen, in order just to stay afloat - afamiliar syndrome.

On a more positive note, he says, "Weare leaving a buyer's market and enteringa seller's market - a nice situation forsuppliers. But the challenge now is tocombine demonstrating value for moneywith a commitment to strengthening thesector. It is really important to spend onresearch and development."

This is the area where traditionally thelarger companies, and particularly the bigfive, make the largest contribution, a fact

more. Short termism is not limited topolitics, it also happens in property andconstruction. Too often the only longterm player, apart from the developerlooking to get value from a building, isthe lift company. Regular maintenanceshould be mandatory, a clearobligation.”

Kevin Taylor also believes that mandatorymaintenance will help to ensure thatthere is a supply of properly trained,properly equipped staff. “Landlords areconcerned, quite rightly, about their legalobligations to employ qualified people.”

A key theme of this year’s Focus is theimportance of lobbying and persuasionin achieving positive change. How strongis the LEIA voice in lobbying government,Kevin Taylor wonders, and significantly,whose role is it to be outspoken? "Ithink the Association does very goodwork, and I am pleased that becomingChairman of ThyssenKrupp, after severalyears as Chief Executive, will allow memore time to spend on LEIA activities.”

He believes that LEIA is justifiably proudof its commitment to maintainingstandards and training, and continues,“The next challenge is to continue thiswork by looking to rationalise andstreamline the competenciesrequirements. This will help to build notonly a strong voice for our sector but adistinctive one.”

We talk about the issues facing theindustry, not only with regard to paymentpractices for the provision of new lift andescalators but also in renewal andmaintenance, an area which particularlyexercises him.

"It is frustrating, to say the least, when acompany is called in to sort out a liftproblem to be told that no maintenancehas been carried out for ten years or

LEIA RAISES ITS PROFILE AT NORTHAMPTON

Looking ahead

openly acknowledged and appreciated bythe current President, David Warr of TitanElevators. It is also one of the reasons forthe LEIA tradition of alternating thepresidency between large and smallcompanies.

...the challenge now is tocombine demonstrating valuefor money with a commitmentto strengthening the sector.

KEVIN TAYLOR, LEIA VICE PRESIDENT

rope factor of safety. His paper looked atthe main changes in thecalculations and throughexamples provided a meansto assess the implications ofthese changes. He proposedthat despite the apparentcomplexity of these equations,making calculations need notbe a daunting prospect. Thispaper was recently published

in the magazine Elevation.

The lift symposium provides anopportunity for practitioners and scientistsfrom the lift industry and academiaworldwide to network and present theirlatest research and innovationdevelopments. Past symposiums have

forged newpartnershipsbetween academicand industryexperts across avariety of lift andescalatortechnologydisciplines.

The 5th Symposium will be held atHighgate House, Northampton, UK, on the23/ 24 September 2015.http://www.liftsymposium.org/

NICK MELLOR PRESENTING AT THE 4TH SYMPOSIUM ONLIFT & ESCALATOR TECHNOLOGY

PAGE 10 LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014

Revisions to the regulations governinghealth and safety in the constructionindustry have been made whichsignificantly affect the lift and escalatorsector.

The implications of the new regulations,which came into force in April 2015,were discussed at the LEIA March 2015Safety Forum.

The following briefing note explains theimplications for the industry of the newConstruction (Design and Management)Regulations 2015 - (CDM 2015).

ScopeCDM 2015 applies to all constructionwork irrespective of how small or largea job is – the length of a project is nowimmaterial other than for notification. Inaddition, construction work covers avery wide range of activities andincludes: installation, commissioning,maintenance and repair. Althoughsimilar wording appeared in the 2007regulations, the Approved Code ofPractice excluded general maintenanceof fixed plant. This is not so in the newguidance. This leads LEIA to concludethat CDM 2015 applies to theinstallation, refurbishment, major andminor repair and maintenance of lifts,escalators, moving walkways, liftingplatforms, stairlifts and similar products

for both domestic and non-domesticclients.

DocumentationFor all projects, a Construction PhasePlan (CPP) must be prepared by thePrincipal Contractor (PC) if more thanone contractor is involved, and by thecontractor if he alone is doing the work.There must always be a ConstructionPhase Plan.

Following contact with the HSE, LEIA isadvised that the extent of the CPPshould be proportionate to the level ofrisk and complexities of the work, e.g.for routine maintenance, a RiskAssessment and Method Statementshould suffice.

At the March 2015 Safety Forum, LEIAintroduced a Construction Phase Plantemplate which can be downloadedfrom the Safety Information Sheets onthe Members’ pages of the website.

For projects involving more than one

contractor a Health and Safety File mustbe prepared at the end of the job.

New duties for client and contractorClient duties have been strengthenedand this will affect LEIA Members whenthey are in the role of client andconstruction work is undertaken on theirpremises.

The CDM Coordinator role has gone butis replaced by Principal Designer (PD)The Client must appoint a PrincipalDesigner and Principal Contractor wherethere is more than one contractor. If aclient fails to make these appointments

Health & Safety update

situations only, the PC also takes on theClient role as far as CDM goes.

Competence – this term has beengenerally removed from CDM 2015 to bereplaced with the key phrases “skills,knowledge, training and experience” and,where an organisation is involved,“organisational capability”. Anyone whois appointed must have the necessary“skills, knowledge, training andexperience” and those who have notshould not accept the appointment.

Anyone making an appointment to work(including of sub-contractors) is requiredto check the competence of thatappointee.

New notification requirementsProjects must be notified by the client tothe HSE (or other appropriate authority) ifthe work is

Ë More than 30 working days and there are more than 20 persons working simultaneously at any point on the project

Ë Over 500 person days

It seems likely that most lift projects willno longer require notification, butremember all the requirements of CDM2015 apply irrespective of length ofproject or whether notification is required.

LAWRENCE DOOLEY

then the duties of PC and PD transfer tothe client. Any contractor must not carryout work unless he is satisfied that theClient is aware of his duties under CDM.

For domestic clients, if no appointmentsare made, then by default the contractorin control of the project becomes the PCand the designer at the pre-constructionphase becomes the PD. In practice, it islikely that LEIA members will also haveto take on the role of PD. In domestic

The Client must appoint aPrincipal Designer andPrincipal Contractor wherethere is more than onecontractor.

Ian Jones may have been the personhonoured by the British Standards Institute(BSI) for his dedicated work as chairman ofits committee on lifts standards, but he isadamant that the achievement is down tothe huge commitment of the many othersinvolved. “I may be seen as the one at thetop of the pyramid, but I am being held upthere by more than 30 other people – ten ofwhom sit within the LEIA technicalcommittee,” he says.

So whilst he was recognized as anInternational Standards Maker at theinaugural awards ceremony in November2014, he regards the honour as atremendous pat on the back for the BSIcommittee structure and particularly thecommitment of LEIA to the proper andrealistic drafting of standards.

Ian’s modesty belies his contribution, clearlyrevealed in the BSI citation for the award.He became chairman of the BSI committeeMHE/4 at a time of highly significantchanges in Europe for lifts standards.

Then in 2005 the primary standardscommittee for lifts in Europe(CEN/TC10/WG1) was charged withcompleting the mammoth task of thetransition from the 1998 standards BS EN81-1 and BS EN 81-2 to the new EN 81-20and EN 81-50. As the BSI points out, thismassive task was only achieved as a result

of Ian Jones’ leadership, which involvedcoordinating some 400 experts in numeroustask groups and many subcommittees,managing the resolution of over 3,000comments, and securing a successfulunanimous "Yes" vote on the final versionpublished in August 2014.

As these new standards were developed,Ian influenced their take up worldwide withChina, in particular, adopting the Europeanstandards as their own. Many othercountries have followed suit and even theUS are starting to move in the Europeandirection.

“It is a key moment in the way we all workbecause once we have a global standard,there will be a welcome period ofconsolidation and calm for ten years or soand we will not be asking people continuallyto change and adapt their designs.”

Ian also points out the important

commercial impact of internationalstandards. “Just look at the volumes,” hesays. “There are 30,000 lifts installed inEurope and 600,000 in China. This is a greatopportunity for manufacturers in Europe towiden their markets. “

At the same time, Ian Jones has overseennew and revised British Standards throughthe MHE/4 committee. He points out thatthere is a long and honourable traditionhere. “When we go back in history, most ofthe standards were developed in the UK andthen elaborated on by European commit-tees, and when questions arise the tendencyis to return to the original British version.”

“BSI is held in great esteem, and being partof it helps us to be proactive, not only withinEurope but also beyond it. It has beenparticularly rewarding, to see the CENstandard used as a global standard – a firstfor everyone, “ says Ian.

As BSI stated in its citation, ‘He has ledMHE/4 to ever higher professionalstandards, insisting on the highest levels ofintegrity from its members. This small andenergetic committee is now highly regardedin BSI and abroad, with many Europeanstandards bodies seeking to modelthemselves on it.’

The time commitment is immense,representing many hundreds of hours not

only in LEIA committee meetings and inother counties, but also working asindividuals in the drafting process. Thecommitment is always made clear toprospective members (and their companies),says Ian, and there are no difficulties inrecruiting people on to the LEIA technicalcommittee, because it is held in such highregard by the industry,. He says, “Being aLEIA technical committee member is also aroute to becoming a BSI member, becauseyou can only do so as a representative of anindustry interest group, not as a corporate orindividual member. It is great to see theimportance that people place on thisactivity.”

Ian freely acknowledges that his committeework has taken up to 50 per cent of ‘dayjob’ at Otis, but that as a major companythey recognize that they should berepresented in this way, to contribute toproduct research and development and tohelp lead the industry forward.

So what of the future? Ian recalls that whenhe joined LEIA’s predecessor associationNALM back in 1995, he was the youngestperson on the technical committee. “All thepeople I looked up to and respected havenow retired. I also look around at the guysin support engineering, with an average ageof the mid 50s. Companies recruit differentlynow, taking on graduates who move on

after a few years. We must be mindful of theskills gap - who is going to replace us?”

He has two reasons for optimism. “I amvery encouraged by the re-engagement oflift apprentices – this year we took on 20 –which makes a return to the grass roots ofthe industry through indentured, skillsserved people who progress through beingservice managers and up to very responsibletechnical positions. You can’t do this bycoming in from another sector because theskill set is different. “

The other is LEIA’s engagement withNorthampton University and the specificdegree course for lift engineering whichattracts increasing global attention. “I wasin a meeting in China where the inspectionguys asked how they could get access tothe University of Northampton degreeprogramme.”

But back to standards. Now that it looks asif world domination is possible for the baselift standard, Ian is working with LEIA’s NickMellor on revision of the more specialiststandards, particularly fire fighting and theprovision for evacuation of disabledpersons. This requires working with BSI,Chief Fire Officers, Metropolitan Authoritiesand other emergency services. Not tomention revising the web pages for the BSI.No slowing down, for this InternationalStandards Maker.

The International Standards Maker

LEIA ANNUAL REVIEW 2014 PAGE 11

IAN JONES RECEIVES HIS BSI AWARD FROM ELISABETH STAMPFL-BLAHA, ISO VICE-PRESIDENT (TECHNICAL MANAGEMENT)

33/34 Devonshire StreetLondon W1G 6PY

Telephone: 020 7935 3013Fax: 020 7935 3321Email: enquiries@leia.co.uk

www.leia.co.uk

Produced by RhysJones Consultants, LondonDesign by Graeme Wilson, GWA Design

In order to provide relevant and practicalsupport, LEIA gathers feedback frommembers following its meetings andevents. Following the successful annualtechnical seminar that took place inOctober 2014, attended by 100 people, itbecame clear that there is a demand formore information and discussion on lift

As LEIA’s Technical Director Nick Mellorcomments, “In the light of the formalfeedback from 49 people and the informalconversations that took place, we havelooked at the practicality of running anadditional technical seminar this year on thetopic of modernization. “

LEIA’s Quality & Technical Committee (QTC)concluded that there is a sufficient level ofinterest in running two LEIA technicalseminars this year, rather than one. In themeantime a programme has been draftedfor the additional event, which will be heldon Tuesday 9 June.

Topics proposed for the modernisationseminar include:

ËBS EN 81-80: rules for the improvementof safety of existing passenger and goods

Keeping up to dateLift and EscalatorIndustry Association

passenger lifts: application and use,implications of new EN 81-20.

ËBS EN 115-2; rules for the improvementof safety of existing escalators and movingwalks and update on revision of EN 115-1.

ËBS EN 81-82 improvement accessibilityof existing lifts for persons including personswith disability

ËBS 5655-11/ BS 5655-12: codes ofpractice for the undertaking of moditicatonsto existing traction and hydraulic lifts; whatis modernization? considering consequentialchanges, modernizing CE-marked lifts.

ËRisk assessment – use of risk assessmentin modernization design and workedexamples

ËConformity assessment and role of thirdparties and quality systems.

During its life, a lift or escalator is likely to require significant work to enable it to carryon reliable and safe operation even in its originally intended use and especially if its usechanges. So changes might need to be made to existing units which constitute amodernisation for a number of reasons including the improvement in safety andimprovement in accessibility addressed as part of the seminar.

One of the more difficult types of lifts to modernize are the old types with lattice gatesoften with open mesh lift well surrounds. These often have very ornate and aesthetic liftcars so the clients are looking to retain them while still improving safety. So designingthe modernisation scheme to address the hazards effectively while retaining theaesthetic appeal of the original installation is difficult and requires a highly skilledapproach by the modernisation designers, suppliers and sub-contractors working withthe client. To make matters worse, these old lifts often use round guide rails – nowlong-since obsolete!

modernization, particularly in the light ofthe new BS EN 81-20 and BS EN 81-50published by BSI on 7August 2014. Theclock is ticking on the withdrawal of theearlier standards, EN 81-1 and EN 81-2 inAugust 2017. Until then lifts can beplaced into service conforming to eitherstandards.

NICK MELLOR EXPLAINS RECENT CHANGES