Am I receiving the correct level of maintenance?
I am not an expert in the lift industry, how do I ensure what my maintenance company is doing is correct?
As owners and operators, it is your responsibility under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 to ensure your lift is maintained on a regular basis. There are many variables in determining the frequency of programmed maintenance i.e. the type of lift you have, the number of floors it serves and the level and type of use it is subjected to. When deciding on the type of maintenance and maintenance company you require it is important to remember servicing should be about preventative maintenance, highlighting the deterioration of components before they fail, providing a reliable lift service and lower running costs in the medium to long term.
Regular maintenance should be coupled with thorough examinations of the equipment by a competent person. Thorough examinations should NOT be confused with preventative maintenance, although they have some elements in common.
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER) introduced new requirements for the safe provision and use of lifting equipment. Regulation 9 of LOLER requires that all lifts provided for use in work activates are thoroughly examined by a competent person at regular intervals.
Who is a Competent Person?
- Lift Insurance Inspectors
- Client appointed persons (The person who is responsible for ensuring compliance to LOLER 1998 & HASAWA 1974 for that client) usually in larger organisations
- Lift Engineer where they deem a specific component to be requiring a further indepth examination
A thorough examination is a systematic and detailed examination of the lift and all its associated equipment. Its aim is to detect any defects which are, or might become, dangerous. The competent person should then report them to the duty holder and if appropriate the enforcing authority (the Health and Safety Executive or Local Authority).
The competent person is legally required to send you a written and signed copy of the report identifying any defects which need to be addressed. Giving details of any repair, renewal or alteration required to remedy the defect and a date by which it should be undertaken.
How do I know if my service provider is addressing the identified defects?
ARDENT Lift Consultancy can assist our clients with all maintenance issues by undertaking maintenance audits to assess quality of workmanship, adjustment levels, cleanliness and compliance with current Health and Safety legislation whilst inspecting documentation found at site, ensuring the performance, reliability and life expectancy of the equipment is maximised in a cost effective manner and providing alternative solutions where required.