Since its creation in 1978, the Spanish Lifts Business Federation (FEEDA) has looked after the interests of the lifts sector in Spain, spreading its voice. Without forgetting that the key pillars of the Federation are safety and accessibility. Some of the actions that have been carried out in 2020 are the following:

After living throughout a tough year due to the health crisis from Covid-19, FEEDA has been seen as a benchmark since the moment the Ministry of Industry considered the lifts sector as an essential service. The ongoing important maintenance of our lift systems by our technicians was deemed essential. We would like to acknowledge the strong cooperation, devotion as well as the extra effort of all the employees and technicians within the sector, who have been out on the streets during the lockdown (always abiding by the measures implemented by the Government).

The federation released a video which outlined the measures that need to be taken, in order to use lifts safely and correctly throughout the lockdown, minimising the spread of the virus.

Furthermore the Federation maintained its support throughout the lockdown period, offering its support and advice on legal matters, answering any queries companies had and explaining the ongoing consequences of the situation to them.

The Federation has continued to update its training manual and keep it relevant and up to date with the ever-changing situation.

The National Institute of the Qualification (INCUAL) from the Ministry of Education and FEEDA have updated the professional qualification IMAQ110 of lifts installation and maintenance. They have also established the FP High-Level Technician qualification within the Mechatronics Industry. Additionally, more than 2,500 employees have been trained within the courses on labour risk prevention designed and organised by FEEDA.

FEEDA has signed an agreement with ONCE Foundation and Nayar Systems to develop a program of universal accessibility for disabled people.

The project aims to design a system which will allow users of the lift to interact with it remotely, using their mobile devices. Avoiding the physical contact with the panel, making it more user friendly for disabled people.

FEEDA and the College of Property Administrators have created together the proposal to the government to allow property owners to organize virtual meetings to make important decisions while following the health and safety guidance for COVID-19.

With the current situation and therefore the lack of building committee meetings, the lift companies are unable to conduct their safety inspections in a normal timely manner and therefore usually failing to meet the targets set out by law. This in-turn is putting the operation of the lifts and their users at risk.

Moreover, the owners are losing the opportunity to qualify for grants related to accessibility and energy efficiency due to the absence of the meetings. Due to all the reasons listed above the Federation has sent a statement to the Ministry of Justice informing them about the Federation’s concerns.