Back in 2019, I wrote an article for Elevator World UK entitled, ‘Accreditation: is now the time?’ The article discussed the merits of introducing an accreditation scheme for field operatives and those responsible for the management of field activities and how this might be administered and the opportunities it could bring.

At the time, there were two events that drove the thinking. The first occurred in New York where, following a series of accidents and fatalities, the local government stepped in and imposed a licensing scheme covering everyone responsible for the design, installation, inspection, maintenance or repairs of lifts, escalators and moving walks.

The second was the introduction by the UK government of the Trailblazer scheme, which provided a template for apprenticeships across a wide range of industries. For the lift and escalator industry, the process was developed and administered by the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA).