There is currently an effort to “Converge” the European Standard EN 81-20 and EN 81-50 (ISO 8100 parts 1, 2, and 3), a performance-based lift standard, with ASME A17.1/CSA B44, the prescriptive code, in the United States and Canada. Convergence had the goal of removing barriers to trade by creating a global prescriptive standard that would be equivalent around the world, a lofty and desirable goal, provided true equivalency is achieved. It changed to be a cut and paste of EN 81-20 and EN 81-50 with little fanfare. Where one Code or Standard used in any comparison is not equivalent, it should not simply be claimed without a full review. This position paper speaks against convergence until a rewrite of both A17.1/B44 and ISO 8100 is performed that is truly equivalent in reality.

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