Elevator safety must be priority
(From The Japan Times June 12 issue)

エレベーター、優先すべきは安全性

    That evening, Hirosuke Ichikawa, a 16-year-old high-school sophomore, straddling his bicycle, was in the process of backing out of an elevator on the 12th floor when the elevator suddenly started going up while the outer and inner doors were open. He was wedged between the floor of the elevator and the building.

    Although rescuers freed him about an hour later and rushed him to a hospital, he died shortly afterward. His injuries included a fractured skull.

    After the power was turned off and rescuers freed the student, the elevator made another irregular movement: It went up and stopped only after reaching the upper limit, just above the top floor. The elevator, which can accommodate up to 28 people, came into use at the condominium in April 1998.

    Police started their investigation by raiding Schindler Elevator K.K., the manufacturer of the elevator, in Koto Ward, Tokyo, on June 7. They also raided the Minato Ward public housing corporation, the owner of the condominium building located near JR Hamamatsu-cho Station, and two elevator maintenance companies. Police should be commended for their quick action.

    It is hoped that police will be able to pinpoint the cause of the erratic movement of the elevator and determine the circumstances surrounding the accident, including whether regular checks and maintenance were properly done.

Since elevator use has become central to many people's everyday life and is assumed to be safe, the results of the investigation will be significant. If, for example, trust in the general safety of elevators operating in high-rise condominiums is shaken, people living on the upper floors, especially the elderly and physically weak residents, could experience great hardship from using staircases out of worry.

    Investigators need to unravel, among other things, questions about whether the computer and software controlling the elevator's movement were working properly, whether the sensors to detect door status were correctly functioning and whether the brake system was defective. If it is determined that the elevator had a structural problem, the impact to the society will be serious.

    Schindler Elevator K.K. is a Japanese unit of the Switzerland-based Schindler Holding AG Group, a leading global manufacturer of elevators, escalators and moving walkways, with more than 1,000 branches and some 40,000 employees spread out worldwide. In Japan, the company has about a 1 percent share of the elevator market.

The Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry has ordered all prefectural governments to examine Schindler elevators and submit reports on past troubles and accidents by June 28. It is believed that there are more than 8,800 Schindler elevators established throughout the country.

    According to Kyodo News, at least 270 instances of trouble with Schindler elevators have been reported in Tokyo and 16 prefectures, including Osaka and Kyoto, since 1999.

    In Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture, an elevator suddenly started going down with the doors open; a man in it jumped out in time and was not injured.

    In a public condominium building in Osaka, there were 17 "confinement accidents" between January 2003 and May 2006.

    In their investigation into the elevator accident at the Minato Ward condominium building, police need to find out whether the public housing corporation and the maintenance companies were properly checking the elevator.

    Since April 2003, at least 41 instances of trouble and accidents, including noises, vibrations and the twisting of wires, have been reported on the elevator in question and an adjacent elevator of the same type. This is no small number — it averages out to more than one accident or instance of trouble a month.

    Police need to find out the details of past troubles and accidents and the kinds of actions the housing corporation and the maintenance companies took.

    The Building Standards Law and other laws require that an elevator be checked at least once a year. Elevator owners must have authorized people examine the elevators and send a report of the results to the prefectural government. There should be stricter requirements concerning the frequency and content of checks. Legal obligations should be imposed on elevator maintenance companies, not just elevator owners.

    Police need to carry out a thorough investigation and the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Ministry should compile detailed information on elevator conditions throughout the country to ensure elevator safety, irrespective of their make and type.

The Japan Times Weekly: June 17, 2006
(C) All rights reserved

    警察は7日、エレベーターのメーカー、シンドラー社（東京江東区）、マンションを管理する港区住宅公社、エレベーター管理会社2社を強制捜査した。

    高層住宅でエレベーターの安全性に問題が発生し階段を使用することになれば、高層階の居住者、特に高齢者や健康に不安を抱えた人たちにとって大変な問題だ。

    事故原因の究明は、エレベーターのコンピュータソフト、ドアセンサー、ブレーキに不具合がなかったかどうかが焦点になる。もしも構造的欠陥が発見されれば、深刻な社会的問題になるだろう。

    シンドラー社は、全世界に事業を展開しているシンドラー・ホールディングAGグループ（本部スイス）の子会社だが、日本市場のシェアは1％程度である。全国に設置された同社のエレベーターは8800台以上だ。

    1999年以来、東京都を含む全国で発生しているシンドラー社製エレベーターによるトラブル270件はみのがせない件数だ。

    問題のマンションでは、03年4月以来、41件のトラブルや事故が2基のシンドラー社製エレベーターで起きていたという。

    警察は、これまで起きたトラブル・事故、住宅公社とエレベーター管理会社が取った対策について調べるべきである。

    建築基準法などは、有資格者による年1回以上のエレベーター点検と、都道府県への点検結果の報告を義務づけているが、さらに厳しい規制が望ましい。

    警察当局は事故の原因究明のため徹底的な捜査を行い、国交省は安全確保のため、全国のエレベーターについて、メーカー、形式に関係なく、完全な調査をする必要がある。