Reasons to modernize your elevator

The elevator was installed in 1974 by EMCH Elevators, according to the standards of the time. Since then, it has completed millions of trips. As a loyal customer, the company trusts EMCH Elevators with its passengers and valuable goods.

SNEL (Safety Norm for Existing Lifts, EN 81-80 and SIA 370.080) is a regulation designed to adapt older elevators to today’s safety standards. The main goal is to reduce or eliminate risks for passengers.

SNEL identifies three major risks in outdated elevators:

1. No cabin doors – risk of injury
   Older elevators relied on floor-level light sensors, meaning the moving wall was always exposed. This created a serious risk of entrapment. Today, light grids and closing doors prevent such accidents.
2. Inaccurate stopping – tripping hazard
   Older systems can stop several centimeters above or below the floor level, creating a danger for passengers, especially those with reduced mobility.
   💡 Modern systems ensure millimeter-precision stops.
3. No emergency call system – risk of isolation
   In the past, elevators had only a basic alarm bell, which may not have been heard in a noisy or empty building. Today, two-way emergency communication ensures immediate assistance in case of failure.

• Precise stopping accuracy
• Safe glass in shaft doors
• Cabin doors installation
• Proper shock absorbers
• Emergency communication system
• Cabin roof safety railing (if required)

Is SNEL binding?

Basically no - but... Every owner of a building is responsible for their facilities. A lack of maintenance can lead to legal situations. Liability for any accidents is always borne by the plant owner in accordance with Art. 58 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (plant owner liability). However, the situation is different for company owners with production facilities. He is obliged to provide his employees with a safe environment and production equipment. SUVA is the decision-making body here.

Concrete case study of a modernisation... in a company in Ostermundigen

✅ Control system – Before (1974) / After (2024)

📷 (Photo: Emmi_Warenlift DSC09477)
Updated components allow precise stopping accuracy.

✅ Cabin – Before (1974) / After (2024)

📷 (Photo: Emmi_Warenlift DSC09545)
Light grids and closing doors eliminate injury risks.

✅ Emergency system – Before (1974) / After (2024)

📷 (Photo: Emmi_Warenlift DSC09497-1)
Now, an emergency call panel ensures immediate assistance.

Modernizing an elevator means enhancing safety, avoiding liability, and improving comfort.

🔎 Is your elevator up to standard? Contact us for a personalized audit!