Elevator Association Requests "Allow Elevator Inspections Before KC Certification"

Elevator maintenance site. [Photo by Asia Economy DB]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Jong-hwa] The Korea Elevator Industry Cooperative (Elevator Cooperative) has requested the government to temporarily allow elevator inspections even if fire door KC certification has not yet been obtained.

According to the Elevator Cooperative on the 27th, since the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) implemented the "Standards for Recognition and Management of Fire Doors and Automatic Fire Shutters" in August last year without a grace period, disruptions have occurred at elevator construction sites, causing damages.

In August last year, MOLIT announced the elevator fire door KC recognition system in accordance with the "Standards for Recognition and Management of Fire Doors and Automatic Fire Shutters." One month later, in September, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology, the fire door recognition testing agency, issued detailed operational guidelines, and companies began the KC recognition process.

The problem arose because, unlike the usual government practice of allowing a grace period of six months to one year between announcement and enforcement of policies, MOLIT announced and enforced the standards simultaneously. Elevator companies urgently applied for KC certification, but due to high demand, the Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology has been unable to meet the statutory processing period of 25 days. As a result, it takes about 3 to 6 months to obtain certification, causing companies to be unable to carry out scheduled construction, increasing damages.

For example, most elevators in existing schools are installed during vacation periods, but due to delays in obtaining KC certification, companies are installing regular doors instead of fire doors. Companies claim that delays in KC certification may postpone building completion and even raise concerns about penalties for delayed delivery.

An industry official lamented, "Many companies are unable to even submit documents because KC certification has not been issued despite the product delivery deadline approaching," adding, "This rushed government administration, which completely disregards on-site conditions, is causing damages only to the companies."

Delays in KC certification have also postponed elevator inspections, resulting in cases where elevators cannot be used even after building completion. Typically, after building completion, elevators are used to move cargo for finishing work, but due to this delay, some companies face concerns about penalties for delayed delivery caused by extended construction periods.

An Elevator Cooperative official emphasized, "There is a need for alternatives, such as temporarily allowing elevator inspections even if fire door KC certification has not yet been obtained."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.