A Week Following in the Footsteps of Our Inspector: Hitchhiking

21 May 2024

A Week in the Footsteps of Youssef Meet Youssef Chennoufi, one of the key members of our Brussels elevator team. Together with his colleagues, he braves the daily hustle and bustle of the Brussels-Halle-Vilvoorde region to ensure you can step into an elevator with complete peace of mind. How does he do it? You’ll find out in this article about his workweek.

A technician is performing a lift inspection at an open control panel next to a lift car and is using a tablet to carry out the inspection.

Monday

The first day of the week is always the hardest after a weekend of rest. At Normec BTV Brussels, we always start the week off on a high note with a pleasant reunion with all our colleagues at the office to go over the week’s schedule. It’s always nice, since we’re usually out in the field on our own. The rest of the day is spent conducting periodic elevator inspections.

A technician performs maintenance on an elevator system in a mechanical room with exposed wiring and mechanical components.

Tuesday

We head out with our new colleague, Claude, who is in the final stretch of his basic training. Before he can work independently, he must complete an extensive training period to ensure he fully masters both the practical and theoretical aspects of the job. Together, we head out to service a whole series of elevators on our schedule.

Hands-on training for technicians in a classroom setting, where participants receive instruction during a technical training course.

Wednesday

As part of our customer satisfaction efforts, we’re organizing a brief meeting between field technicians from various specialties (electricity, gas, fire safety, hoisting and lifting, elevators) to discuss key points that can make our work more efficient. One of these points is effective communication. This is essential to ensuring customer satisfaction with our services.

A technician wearing a safety helmet is inspecting an electrical installation in a control panel and using a tablet to record the findings.

Thursday & Friday

Our new colleague Claude is once again shadowing me for the final inspections. Afterward, he’ll have the opportunity to earn his certification and start working independently. This naturally takes time during each elevator inspection because, while conducting the inspection—which we perform very thoroughly—we also need to provide the necessary information for Claude’s training.

On the last day of the week, after finishing the day’s inspections, I head back to the office. There, I review the past week with my team leader, pointing out both minor issues and positive aspects, with the goal of further improving our teamwork. We wrap up the week with the excellent news that our colleague Claude has passed his exam and will become a certified inspector for periodic elevator inspections! All set for the weekend!

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Pressure relief valve on an orange piping system with a pressure gauge in a utility room.

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Inspection of compressed air systems in Belgium: compressed air tanks and requirements by region

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An inspector checks emergency doors and escape routes in a building using a tablet.

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A technician is inspecting or adjusting a door mechanism in an existing masonry structure.

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Want to ride the elevator with peace of mind? Normec BTV takes care of the inspection for you!

Passenger elevator inspections: preventive inspections, risk assessments, post-modernization inspections, or final inspections—Normec BTV can handle it all!

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A technician inspects an electrical switchgear cabinet with a tablet during a technical installation inspection.

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Changes to AREI 2026

At first glance, the AREI changes taking effect on April 1, 2026, may seem technical. But for you as a prevention consultant, they are primarily strategic. Because in the event of an incident, people don’t just look at the installation. They look at your follow-up procedures and demonstrable compliance. The changes primarily fall into three areas. The question is: Have you already assessed them against your current installation?