Lift and Elevator Codes and Standards in Bolivia
Bolivia has a general workplace-safety law that names lifts: Decreto Ley 16998 (Ley General de Higiene, Seguridad Ocupacional y Bienestar, 1979), Art. 70 requires every lift and goods lift (ascensores y montacargas) to be soundly built, kept in good repair, fitted with safety gear working with the overspeed governor, and 'inspeccionados a intervalos regulares prescritos por reglamentos'; Art. 71 puts mine lifts under a special regulation, and Arts. 234-249 set rules for lifting appliances (aparatos para izar), including an examination before first use and at least every twelve months. No implementing lift regulation fixing the inspection interval was found. IBNORCA, the national standards body, publishes voluntary lift standards from its technical committee CTN 13.5 'Aparatos de elevación y transporte': NB 135002:2009 on lift, goods-lift and escalator maintenance (text read), and, from its catalogue listings, NB 135001:2005 (electric passenger lifts, from MERCOSUR NM 207:1999) and NB/NM 313:2007 (lift accessibility, NM 313). No municipal lift ordinance for La Paz, Santa Cruz or Cochabamba was found.
Who regulates lifts
No dedicated lift regulator found. DL 16998 is a labour-safety law (its text refers to a 'autoridad competente' and a Dirección General de Higiene, Seguridad Ocupacional y Bienestar); building control is municipal.
Periodic inspection
DL 16998 Art. 70(5) requires lifts and goods lifts to be inspected at regular intervals prescribed by regulations, but no regulation fixing the interval was found. For lifting appliances (aparatos para izar) Art. 241 requires daily checks, weekly examination and inspection at least once every twelve months; whether this applies to building passenger lifts is not stated. NB 135002:2009 (voluntary) sets a preventive maintenance programme and a logbook (hoja de vida).
Installer and maintenance licensing
Not found. NB 135002:2009 says maintenance needs qualified personnel but sets no licence; a 2025 university lift-maintenance tender (USFX) asked for engineers registered with the Sociedad de Ingenieros de Bolivia as a contract condition, not a legal licence.
Laws, codes and standards
- DL 16998 (1979) — General Law on Occupational Hygiene, Safety and WelfareMandatory · Decreto Ley Nº 16998 of 2 August 1979, listed as in force (vigente) · Government of Bolivia
- NB 135001 (2005) — Electric passenger lifts - Safety for constructionVoluntary · IBNORCA Norma Boliviana; corresponds to MERCOSUR NM 207:1999 · IBNORCA (CTN 13.5)
- NB 135002 (2009) — Lifting appliances - General requirements for lift maintenanceVoluntary · IBNORCA Norma Boliviana, ratified 2009-06-04; no decree making it mandatory was found · IBNORCA (CTN 13.5 Aparatos de elevación y transporte)
- NB/NM 313 (2007) — Passenger lifts - Safety for construction and installation - Particular requirements for accessibility of persons, including persons with disabilityVoluntary · IBNORCA adoption of MERCOSUR NM 313:2007 · IBNORCA
Lift associations and bodies
- Bolivian Institute for Standardization and Quality (IBNORCA)
- IBNORCA Technical Standards Committee 13.5 Lifting and transport equipment (CTN 13.5)
Last verified 2026-10-21. Standards are copyrighted: we list which one applies and its legal status, not its text.