The button is illuminated and a muted hum reverberates as the lift starts its slow journey upwards. With a familiar "ping" it reaches its destination, but as the door slides shut are you aware of the measures taken to ensure the safety of its passengers. Liftstore sales engineer Mark Roland explains the basics.

Lift safety is an area that impacts on the majority of public sector buildings. Lifts can be found everywhere from  schools and libraries to hospitals, council offices, and of course high-rise council and residential flats.

In a busy building, the lifts are likely to be in almost constant use so regular examination and preventative maintenance is vital to their safe running. Regulation 9 of the LiftingOperations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), states that owners of lifts used primarily by members of the public are bestowed with the notable title of “dutyholder”. Under this regulation the owner must ensure that all lifts receive regular maintenance and are thoroughly examined by a competent person at regular intervals to make sure they are safe to use. At the same time, the general duties imposed by The Health and Safety Act (1974) mean that owners are obliged to keep lifts in safe working order.

So, what is the definition of a “competent person”? This is someone who has sufficient technical and practical knowledge of the lift to be able to detect any defects and assess how significant they are. The competent person must be sufficiently independent and impartial to allow them to make an objective assessment of the lift. The company that insures the building also employs an engineer to inspect the plant, including the lifts.

Inspections can include visual and functional checks, for example that the door interlocks operate correctly or the  reduction gear is internally sound. Although they have some elements in common, it is important not to confuse “thorough examination” with “preventative maintenance”. The latter should be carried out by an authorised lift maintenance company, and usually involves reporting and 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. More detailed guidance can be found in the Safety Assessment Federation’s (SAFed) Lift guidelines.

The law requires that all passenger lifts 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, lift failure, 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.

By law any defects should be reported to the building owner. If it is a serious andsignificant defect then the lift must be taken out of service immediately. Accurate record keeping and documentation of work carried out is therefore very  important. Most credible lift maintenance companies offer such a service, and many public building managers have, in my experience, benefited from the off-site database that can be built-up in this way.

A key area of lift safety that is often overlooked by building owners is ensuring that a lift is levelled properly every time that it stops at a floor. If this doesn’t happen, then passengers getting in and out of the lift are at risk of tripping and injuring themselves. This can be a big issue for building owners, especially those in the public sector, who are constantly responsible for the safety of people using their building and its lifts. The reasons for a lift not being at the correct  stopping level are many and varied, and can occur at any time without warning.

A further matter for consideration is the alarming rise in personal injury claims, or even legal action. In this increasingly litigious society, many organisations are vulnerable to claims but, due to a lack of corroborating evidence, often can’t distinguish fact from fiction between genuine claims and spurious ones. Quite often all claims made for personal injury related to a lift-tripping incident will be paid.

As well as regular maintenance, public sector building owners should ensure that an electronic safety edge is fitted to  their lifts to prevent the doors striking passengers entering or exiting the lift. This is usually a series of invisible infrared light beams which scan the lift door opening. If one of the beams is interrupted, the door will not close or will reopen immediately.

The issues outlined above are the most pressing safety issues facing public sector building owners. As long as a building owner is 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 passenger safety.

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