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Article 46: After an elevator is put into use, the elevator manufacturer shall conduct follow-up investigations and assessments regarding the safe operation of the elevator it manufactured. It shall offer suggestions for improvement regarding any issues existing in the maintenance and safety operations carried out by the elevator’s maintenance unit or user, and provide necessary technical assistance； When serious accident hazards are detected in an elevator, it is necessary to inform the entity that uses the elevator promptly, and to report to the department responsible for the supervision and management of safety in special equipment. The elevator manufacturer shall keep records of the investigations and findings. Interpretation of the provision: This article stipulates the obligations of the manufacturer during the use of elevators. Elevator manufacturers are familiar with the technology of their own brand of elevators, which enables them to more easily identify existing problems and potential risks. Moreover, after the elevators are put into use, they remain in close contact with the manufacturers, who provide spare parts, give guidance on maintenance requirements, and offer technical support in case of issues. Furthermore, an accident involving an elevator will have a significant negative impact on its brand image. Therefore, the manufacturing unit has an obligation to assume responsibility for servicing the elevators it produces during their operation. This not only allows the technical advantages of those elevators to be utilized to the fullest extent to serve society and ensure safe use of elevators, but it also helps to maintain the company’s brand image. I. It is necessary to keep track of the safe operation of elevators. Elevator manufacturers should stay informed about the safe operation of the elevators they have produced; this not only helps to ensure the safe operation of these elevators, but also allows them to improve their work based on this information, thereby enhancing the quality of elevator manufacturing and further ensuring their safety performance. The specific regulations and requirements for follow-up investigations and assessments shall be defined by the manufacturing unit within its quality assurance system, and commitments regarding these shall be included in the quality assurance certificate or related documents provided to the user. Follow-up investigations and assessments can be carried out regularly or in special circumstances; they can be incorporated into the after-sales service system, and tasks that require user cooperation can be clearly specified in the sales contract. II. Necessary technical assistance should be provided to the entities responsible for the maintenance of elevators as well as to those who use them. Elevator manufacturers, who have the best understanding of the structure and performance of elevators, have an obligation to assist the maintenance teams and users in carrying out their tasks properly. In reality, although some elevators are not covered by the maintenance responsibilities of the elevator manufacturers, these manufacturers still need to investigate and understand these in-use elevators. If it is found that the maintenance work does not comply with safety technical specifications, relevant standards, and the requirements outlined in the user manuals, or if the entities responsible for operating the elevators fail to meet these same requirements, the manufacturers should proactively offer suggestions for improvement to both the maintenance parties and the operators of the elevators. At the same time, elevator manufacturers should also provide technical support to the entities responsible for the maintenance of elevators as well as to those who use them. This includes supplying spare parts in a timely manner, training maintenance and management personnel – with a particular focus on teaching them how to adjust key safety devices such as brakes – and issuing warnings regarding other equipment of the same type in the event of an accident, so as to prevent similar incidents from occurring again and thus ensure the safe operation of elevators. Elevator manufacturers cannot ignore the elevators they have produced just because they are not responsible for their maintenance; nor can they threaten the maintenance and operating parties of those elevators by setting traps in the control systems or manipulating the prices of spare parts. Of course, the elevator maintenance and operating companies should take the initiative to seek help from the elevator manufacturers, and should not keep them at bay out of fear that the manufacturers will take away the maintenance contracts. In short, ensuring elevator safety requires the joint efforts of all parties, as after all, the safety of people’s lives comes first. III. When potential accident hazards are identified, they must be promptly communicated to the unit using the elevator, as well as reported to the safety supervision and management authorities. Elevator manufacturers, in carrying out follow-up investigations and assessments, as well as assisting with maintenance and addressing related issues, must, on the one hand, help to resolve the existing accident hazards promptly, and on the other hand, inform the unit using the elevator about any serious hazards, advising them to take corrective actions as soon as possible to prevent accidents. At the same time, they must report these issues to the authorities responsible for the safety supervision and management of special equipment, usually the authorities in charge of registration for such equipment, so that these authorities can be aware of the situation and take necessary measures to ensure that the hazards are eliminated promptly. IV. Records of the investigations and findings should be kept. Elevator manufacturers must conduct follow-up investigations and assessments regarding the safe operation of the elevators they produce, and such records must be made and preserved. These records should be included in the relevant documents of the manufacturer and filed as part of the archives, while also being recorded in the equipment archives of the entities that use the elevators. The requirements regarding recording and preservation shall be clearly stipulated in the relevant regulations of the organization, and shall be made available during the regular inspections and supervision carried out by the department responsible for the safety supervision of special equipment, or as part of the qualification approval process.