It is often easy to overlook the importance of lift maintenance, but if properly managed, it has the potential to improve the lift’s longevity, which can be a cost-effective way to ensure that your lift maintains its reliability, efficiency, and safety. Eze lifts are a Fleet-based lift maintenance company with a good track record for satisfied customers.
Are we obligated to have our lift maintained?
Yes. However, as is the case with many areas of legislation it is far from cut and dry with regards to possible legal liability.
Two pieces of legislation come into effect if a lift is installed in domestic premises namely: The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) and The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER).
The reason for this is that lifts are considered to be items of work equipment, which places a legal obligation on the owner of the lift to take all the necessary steps for ensuring that the lift is safe for use by both employees and the public.
The strict application of LOLER and PUWER implies that private lift owners along with lifts primarily for use by the public don’t have any responsibility for their maintenance since they aren’t considered work equipment. Still, lift owners have a duty of care to persons not in their employment under The Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations.
For instance, if contractors such as cleaners of the common areas, lift companies, etc. are employed by Residents Management Associations or Agents to work in residential buildings, the premises become an area of work, which then means that the owners of the lifts have a duty of care to ensure that their lift meets the relevant safety standards and is properly maintained.
How frequently should our lift be maintained?
You won’t find one right answer to this question. The frequency of servicing will depend on the number of lifts that you have, the number of floors served, as well as the amount of use that they are subjected to.
The lift provider should advise you on the proper maintenance schedule. However, it is still important to consider that servicing your lift is about improving your lift’s longevity and regularly servicing your lift will likely minimise your running costs in the medium to long term.
What does a service visit typically involve?
During a service visit, an engineer checks the lift’s safety features as well as cleaning, lubricating, and adjusting all the components to ensure optimum performance. The engineer also records any work performed and makes recommendations for any repairs or improvement works not covered in the service visit. During each visit, the customer is always required to check and sign the service report.
What happens if somebody is trapped inside the lift when it breaks down?
A person trapped inside a lift when it breaks down should be able to get in touch with somebody on the outside using an emergency telephone inside the lift car. All reputable lift service providers are required to deal with any trapped passengers promptly offer a 24/7 365-day emergency call out service.
All the new lifts installed from 1997 onwards are legally required to comply with the European Lift Directive, which includes the provision of a lift communication system. The European Standard EN 81-80 was introduced back in 2003 for the lifts installed prior to 1997, which covered a 74-point list of recommendations to improve the safety of old lifts. It includes the provision of a lift communication system, as is reasonably practical as it usually is.
