RINA has developed the ‘Lift Biosafety Certification’ specification for organisations to demonstrate that they have implemented all possible measures to contain infections within passenger and good lifts.
The new certification recognises a set of measures adopted by the applicant organisation and aimed at preventing and mitigating the risks of spreading disease while waiting for or using lifts in public or private venues (e.g. hotels, congress and commercial centres, nursing and retirement homes).
The requirements of this new certification can be added to most widespread existing management systems, such as for health and safety in the workplace (e.g. ISO 45001), or to certification schemes such as RINA’s Biosafety Trust.
This results in a higher level of specific procedures for the prevention and control of infections.
Organisations certified according to the Lift Biosafety Certification will obtain several advantages, including the strengthening of their risk management capacity and user confidence in the provision of a higher quality service.
Regardless of the industry, any organisation wishing to obtain the certification must first of all provide an analysis of the location of the lifts and the mitigation procedures already adopted within the building. This assessment also includes the structural risk minimisation measures adopted, from access to the building to the management of people flow. The main factors that need to be taken into account are:
Lifts are widely used every day and, being closed places and small in size, they can easily become an ideal place for possible disease transmission.
The Lift Biosafety Certification can support organisations in adopting measures aimed at minimising the health risks to employees and customers.