Hastily serviced elevators to cut costs, inadequate inspections, and outdated regulations are all elements raising fears about the safety of these devices, which thousands of Quebecers borrow every day. Mechanics sound the alarm while the Régie du Bâtiment du Québec promises to rectify the situation.
Since 2016, Chapter 89 of the International Union of Elevator Builders, which among other things represents industrial workers in the greater Montreal area, has lost three of its members who died while servicing an elevator or related equipment. However, for the past 15 years, between 2001 and 2016, the union has not recorded a death in similar circumstances among its members, business agent Roger Harpin, who met at his LaSalle office, told Duty.
“It’s huge,” the man, who has 40 years of experience as an elevator mechanic, said of those three deaths in seven years.
Two of the deaths in question were the subject of investigative reports by the Commission on Standards, Equity, Health and Safety at Work (CNESST). Deficiencies in the safety of the systems and in the working conditions of the deceased elevator mechanics are identified. These are Éric Martel, who died in 2016 after his left arm was crushed while maintaining a movable walkway at the University of Montreal, and Simon Viel, who died in 2018 while maintaining an elevator in a building in the Sud-Ouest district .
Another elevator mechanic died on October 26 when he fell from the ninth to the first floor during maintenance work in an elevator shaft at the CHU Sainte-Justine. However, the CNESST report on this death has not yet been released.
In an interview with Le Devoir, elevator mechanics working in different regions of Quebec complain that they have less and less time to inspect and maintain these devices, which they attribute to the desire of the companies that employ them to limit their costs. “It’s a bidding war to get the lowest possible price on maintenance contracts for elevators in hospitals, schools and other buildings,” notes Roger Harpin.
Workers are then forced to cut corners to be able to visit as many elevators as their employer needs without exceeding the budget they allocate to do the work. “I know elevator mechanics who service 250 elevators a month,” says Harpin.
lack of time
These workers are therefore forced to carry out sometimes complex maintenance work in a short time. “Often I only have half an hour to be on site, meet the customer, pick up the keys and carry out the requested inspection [sur un ascenseur] and go. But the work alone would take us an hour,” explains a mechanic who works in Estrie. Fearing reprisals from his employer, who does not allow him to speak to the media, he asked for anonymity.
“I’ve been asked to get on and off before,” says elevator mechanic Lance Yates, who has more than 25 years of experience. The latter, who works mainly in Montreal, says he has already been asked by his employer to enter buildings to sign a register stating that he has inspected an elevator, without actually having done so. “Mechanics have long been asking for more time for maintenance, but companies have.” [d’ascenseurs] don’t let it happen,” regrets Mr. Yates in order to limit their spending.
In an email, the Régie du Bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) mentions that the maintenance required for this type of equipment must include “the inspection, testing and testing of all parts and functions of the elevator”. “Each step must be respected for the interview to be compliant. It is up to the contractor hired by the owner of a lift to properly plan the work to meet all requirements,” the organization adds.
Le Devoir, Otis and Kone, two of the largest elevator builders and repairers in the world, briefly answered our questions via email. “There is nothing more important to Otis than the safety of our colleagues, our customers and the people who rely on our products and services every day,” said the company, which says it has taken several measures to protect its employees and contractors.
“We work closely with our customers to reduce safety risks and raise awareness through safety education and training,” says Kone, which claims all of its employees “have the ability to stop work if there’s a risk to move on, seek help and. Take the necessary measures to safely continue the work.
On the way to a new regulation
Several union officials contacted by Le Devoir are calling on the RBQ to carry out more inspections of lifts in the province to encourage the companies responsible for maintenance to adopt better practices. They also regret that Quebec currently uses a 2007 elevator and freight elevator safety code, while Ontario uses standards updated in 2019. “Let’s not forget that we’re not transporting boxes, we’re transporting the public.” starts Roger Harpin.
However, the RBQ intends to present a draft rule revision this year to update the construction and safety codes for elevators and other lifting equipment in Quebec.
Specifically, these regulatory changes aim to create a maintenance control program that will aim to keep elevators “in good working order” and thus “ensure a higher level of safety for users,” the government agency added via email added. Each piece of equipment must be subject to a separate control program that “regularly establishes inspection, testing, cleaning, lubrication and adjustment of the relevant components,” according to the RBQ.
The latter states that its 11 specialized inspectors carry out an average of 820 inspections per year on elevators in Quebec. This number could rise further if the Quebec government introduces mandatory monitoring of construction sites, as demanded by many construction industry players. “If an elevator is present, it must therefore be subjected to a preliminary test before it is delivered,” notes the RBQ.
“It should also be noted that in the event of a serious violation, the RBQ has the power to revoke the operating licenses of contractors who are violating the regulations,” Quebec Labor Secretary Jean Boulet said via email.