Emergency communication systems / emergency communication centres

Emergency communications only in one lift in ten.

An alarming statistic: only one lift in ten, of about 500,000 passenger lifts in Germany, has a real emergency communication system. As a consequence, lift passengers have to wait for hours on end in lifts that have stuck. These cases are being taken more and more often to court. It does not have to get this far!

TÃœV Rheinland Group was one of the first to enter new terrain by evaluating emergency communication systems and emergency communication centres for the lift systems of famous lift companies.

What is important for operators of lift systems?

It is new that lift systems, when they are marketed, must be equipped with an emergency communication system connected to a continuously manned location (central building office / emergency communication centre). These systems must immediately actuate the emergency communication simply when the emergency button is pressed. The pertinent central office must identify this with certainty and establish spoken communications with the person who has triggered the alarm without delay. The following emergency communication systems are distinguished:

• emergency communication systems which do not have an attendant function to a continuously manned locations (e.g. central building offices)
• emergency communication systems which do not have an attendant function to emergency communication centres (e.g. lift companies)
• emergency communication systems which have an attendant function to emergency communication centres (e.g. lift companies)

Your advantage when using emergency communication systems which have an attendant function.

When using emergency communication systems which have an attendant function, there is no longer an obligation to appoint a lift attendant in accordance with the Directive on Lifts [§ 20 of the Directive on Lifts] for continuous system supervision.

We provide you with consulting as an operator in your selection of emergency communication systems.

Our many years of experience in this field mean that we are able to provide competent and neutral assistance at any time to operators of lift systems in their selection of emergency communications equipment.

We will assist you as a manufacturer of emergency communication systems or as an operator of emergency communication centres.

If required, we will provide consulting and support to manufacturers in planning, developing and manufacturing these systems. So as to document to your customers the quality and functional reliability of your product and to protect yourself against possible product liability claims, we recommend voluntary design testing for every emergency communication system.

In addition, we test your pertinent emergency communication centres as part of the overall scheme also on an individual basis.

When there is a positive test result, the manufacturer is given a certificate for voluntary design testing and a test report which documents that the current guidelines and standards, such as the Technical Regulations for Lifts (TRA) 106 [Communications systems for emergency calls], have been adhered to.