Stuck in Lift Stories

This month, as a change of direction, the BBC have decided to assist us with our newsletters (thank you Auntie!). The BBC News Magazine has run a recent article on Lift Etiquette featuring the story of the very unfortunate New Yorker, Nick White who got trapped in a lift in his office building for a staggering 41 hours, despite the lift having a form of emergency communication installed. Check the story out following this link:

Lift Etiquette

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-19846214 It would appear that story struck a chord with many and the Beeb put together a follow up story featuring some unfortunate souls who have been trapped in lifts around the world and sent in their stories. With heights and confined spaces (not to mention a couple of Bruce Willis blockbusters) in the public psyche, these are reasons people are often wary of lift travel. Below is the link to the second article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-20033471 Whilst lifts transport vast numbers of people every day, there are very few serious incidents. If ever you find yourself in the unfortunate circumstance of being trapped in a lift, always remain calm as the lift car is the safest place to be (there are multiple safety devices in place to protect passengers) and only exit the lift when certain it is safe to do so. When managing lifts, Owners and Operators under the LOLER regulations need to take responsibility for emergency communication, below are some tips on how to ensure the emergency communication operates correctly when it is required…

• Always record the telephone number for the lift, most instances of non-communication come from the telephone line being disconnected due to unpaid phone bills. If you are paying bills for a phone line that you are unsure of, always double check with the lift company before disconnecting (you should be able to retrieve the phone number from the lift contractor easily)
• Regular checks of emergency intercom systems are vital. Modern systems auto-check every three days, in accordance with standards, but if your communication system is older, it may not have this facility. It is important to check as regularly as possible, if there is a porter on site, have them check on a weekly basis as a minimum. If no porter, check every time you are in the property
• Ensure the right company is called. When changing maintenance providers, reprogramming of emergency autodiallers is sometimes overlooked, leaving the communication device ready to call a company no longer responsible for maintenance and breakdowns. Ensure the new maintenance company reprograms the system to call their emergency help desk
• Ensure the maintenance company you choose has adequate facilities and breakdown cover to support your lift. If in doubt, consult an expert…