With the Real Decreto 355/2024, as of 1 July 2024, the new ʻComplementary Technical Instruction for Lifts ITC AEM1ʼ came into force in Spain, regulating the commissioning, modification, maintenance and inspection of lifts nationwide, increasing the safety of the existing fleet of installations.

ITC AEM1 provides for changes and new requirements for maintenance and periodic inspections of equipment; it also prescribes upgrades for existing lifts.

The content of the ITC is structured around four main ‘pillars’.

● Maintenance. One of the ‘pillars’ of this ITC is to provide a uniform level of safety for all existing lifts, through the implementation of the same preventive maintenance basis. The Standard to be applied for maintenance is: UNE 58720.

● Inspections audit as a tool to ensure compliance with current legislation. The Standards to be applied in inspections are: UNE 192008-1 for Lift Directive installations and UNE 192008-2 for Machine Directive installations.

● Major modifications. This refers to modifications to existing equipment that cannot be considered simple maintenance or repair, and a list of these is given in the new ITC. They must be carried out in accordance with the technical requirements derived from Directive 2014/33/EU (lifts) and Directive 2006/42/EC (machinery).

● Safety. Annex VII. The fourth ‘pillar’ is the fundamental one in the day-to-day work of the sector and its main focus/commitment: updating existing equipment to ensure the safety of users and workers.

In issues 5 and 6/2014 of Elevatori Magazine you can read more about this topic.