But the national or regional rules and regulations that apply to them are reflected in different standards, making international trade a problem. For the first time, an ISO International Standard just published will harmonize them all, enabling safety to improve and the technology to grow.
ISO 8100 Lifts for the transport of persons and goods overcome this by providing internationally agreed requirements that has worldwide approval for use in all economic areas and is compliant with all local legislation.
They started thousands of years ago as manually operated pulleys, such as those operated by slaves in the Roman Coliseum. Now some are breathtaking feats of engineering, such as the Gateway Arch in Missouri. Most, however, are less glamorous and just aim to transport us from one floor to another.
There are three main standards in use around the world to outline the mechanical and operational characteristics of lifts, all arriving at a similar level of safety and quality. However, they all have different requirements, and are tied to the economic area in which they operate, meaning they are not always accepted in other parts of the world.