In this case, those responsible for lifts used by members of the public are dutyholders who must ensure that all lifts, in addition to receiving regular maintenance, are thoroughly examined by a competent person at regular intervals, and are safe to use. This is a legal responsibility, in addition to the general duties imposed by The Health and Safety Act (1974). The competent person should report their findings to the dutyholder and, if appropriate, the enforcing authority so that appropriate remedial action can be taken.

It is not advisable for the same person who performs routine maintenance to also be responsible for the thorough examination, as they would be assessing their own work. This is particularly important for those who contract out lift maintenance. Thorough examinations can also be extended by supplementary tests. These would be carried out at the calling of the competent person by trained and competent lift engineers. Inspections can include visual and functional checks, e.g. that the door interlocks operate correctly or the reduction gear is internally sound. Regular and thorough examination and maintenance should keep lifts in good working order, and importantly, running smoothly with no jerkiness during transit.

Understanding the terminology

It is important that there is no confusion between ‘thorough examination’ with ‘preventive maintenance’, although they have some elements in common. Preventive maintenance should be carried out by an authorised lift maintenance company, and usually involves reporting/replacing worn or damaged parts, topping up fluid levels and making routine adjustments to ensure optimum performance. Thorough examination may act as a check that maintenance is being carried out properly, but is not intended to replace it.

The law requires that all lifts which carry passengers must be thoroughly examined at least every six months, after any substantial and significant changes have been made and following ‘exceptional circumstances’ such as damage to, or failure of, the lift, long periods out of use or a major change in operating conditions – all of which are likely to affect the integrity of the equipment. New lifts do not require any initial thorough examination as long as they have been manufactured and installed in accordance with the Lifts Regulations 1997.

It is a legal requirement that the competent person notifies the building owner as soon as possible regarding defects which are (or could soon become) dangerous. If a building owner is notified of a serious and significant defect then the lift must be taken out of service immediately, until the fault has been addressed. Failure to do this is a breach of the law. Accurate record keeping and documentation of work carried out is therefore very important. Most credible lift maintenance companies offer such a service, and many building owners or facilities managers have, in my experience, benefited from the off-site database that can be built-up in this way.

Lift levelling and tripping

A key area of lift safety that is often overlooked is ensuring that a lift is levelled properly every time that it stops at a floor. If this does not happen, then a whole host of problems can occur. Clearly, passengers entering or exiting the lift are at risk of tripping and injuring themselves. Passengers in wheelchairs cannot gain access to or exit a lift if it is not properly levelled. People wheeling trolleys, or transporting cumbersome equipment can’t gain access either. In a medical or laboratory setting vessels containing samples, medicine, or drugs can shaken around and damaged, if the trolley transporting them bumps up or down between the lift and floor.

Responsible individuals can take steps to protect lift users from injury and themselves from potentially costly insurance claims, or even litigation. TripTrack from Liftstore is a new product which can recognise whether a lift has stopped at the correct level or not, and alert maintenance staff, as well as trigger a warning for the passengers in the lift as appropriate. It also keeps a record of each time the lift stops at a floor (whether it is level or not), which can be used to weed out the false insurance or legal claims if need be. There is even an additional option of linking this trip warning to a CCTV camera, and in the event of an accident a series of images is recorded and dated.

Conclusions

Although a detailed technical discussion of lift safety could run for thousands of words, I have outlined some of the most pressing safety issues. As long as those responsible for lift health and safety are aware of the need for detailed and thorough examinations, appropriate maintenance, as well as levelling and associated trip hazards, they should be well on the way to ensuring that the lifts in their buildings are as safe as possible.

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