The year-end ‘ups' and 'downs’ of life

While the elevator forms an integral part of our daily lives, it also provides an excellent metaphor for many of its aspects. As the year 2021 draws to a close and we approach the year-end festivities, the term ‘elevator safety’ takes on an entirely different connotation.

Managing the visits to friends and relatives safely during the pandemic now requires an altogether different level of preparation. Santa isn’t the only one wearing a mask during Christmas and even the optional New Year party masks have been replaced with mandatory safety masks.

Maintaining social distancing and carrying hand sanitiser is as much part of the process as giving and receiving gifts. There is a much greater focus on ensuring safety and it is a message that needs to be taken forward in all spheres of life as we move towards the year 2022.

While people are being much more careful while using elevators and escalators during the festive season visits vis-à-vis protecting themselves from the Coronavirus, using toothpicks and upgrading to hands-free elevator panels, the concept needs to be extended to basic usage as well.

Two recently reported accidents that occurred during this last month of 2021, provided a wake-up call that just cannot be ignored. These highly unfortunate incidents, along with their predecessors, have repeatedly underlined the need to be collectively vigilant and take greater responsibility.

While the new safety standards are a step in the right direction, it is just the beginning of the journey. The need of the hour is to focus on elevator safety and make it a truly joint effort. This includes end-users who are often seen distracted by phone conversations or reading messages while they enter and exit elevators along with societies that insist on only hiring the cheapest possible service provider.

The time has come for all stakeholders to formulate a viable, practical blueprint that takes all the existing concerns and obstacles into consideration, from funding the costs involved to upgrade old elevators to a mechanism for enforcing the new norms. One that can be adhered to by all the parties engaged in the process. ?