The Australian Elevator Association Limited (AEA) is the national peak industry body representing companies in what is commonly called “The Lift Industry”. However today the word “Lift” and “Elevator” are synonymous and the industry extends beyond “Lifts”.
Escalators and Moving Walks are a large part of what “Lift Companies” are about and our industry is being more frequently referred to as the vertical transport industry (VTI), a term that is creeping into common usage. Therefore, VTI includes the supply, installation and maintenance of lifts(elevators), escalators and moving walks, and these in turn are sometimes referred to as vertical transport systems (VTS). Both terms are used here.
Established in 1961 as the Lift Manufactures Association of Australia the dynamics of the association changed as manufacturing of lifts by major lift companies in Australia came to a close c.1990.
Today’s society places great demand on VTS as globally more people are moved every day than by any other mode of transport. As technology and governance are constantly changing, the AEA now exists to ensure its members are kept up to date with these changes.
The Technical Committee, which is made up from member companies meet regularly where they constantly review and if necessary act on important issues that may affect not only the safety of those who ride in or on VTS, but also those who install and maintain them.
The AEA also provides seminars and training to groups who want to learn more about the VTI or the various systems that form part of it. Property Owners, Asset Managers, Government and Institutional Organisations can avail themselves of the opportunity to discover just how diverse the range of products are, and the wealth of experience member companies have to support the public interest.
A Handbook produced by the members is freely available from our website: http://australianelevator.com.au/ it contains a wealth of information, mostly in plain English. Some of the subjects covered are:
- Risk management plan and life cycle
- Persons in control of a business or undertaking (PCBU)
- Accessibility
- Licensing and plant registration
- Design registration
- Item registration
- Use of lifts (elevators) in an emergency
- Energy efficiency of plant
- Control systems for lifts (elevators)
- A hazard and risk process
- Abbreviations and definitions, which may assist in understanding terminology used in the VTI.
The Handbook is regularly updated to meet the ever-changing technology and governances that affect our industry.
