Health and Safety for Beginners Forums

Before I go upsetting people can somebody confirm that passenger lifts should be serviced every 6 months? I have one that hasn't been serviced in 2 years and I am just about to have it taken out of use

very quick - stat check lift inspection every 6 months - servcing may be shorter intervals depending on use/type etc

Thanks Stoker, shorter but not longer right?

yep, some lifts wiv a lot of usage wiull get more servicing so the old friend RA will come into it as well as manufactures recomends, stat check is min 6 months - again if cometent eng recomends shorter than so be it, some lifts open to abuse (vandals) again would be loooked at in a diffrent light ( sorry bout spellin - trying to do somthing else) - 2 years far to long for anytype of passenger lift even if its only used 1 a week

I've since found out it was serviced on the end of February but is out of contract. They have until the end of the month to get the contract renewed and a service done before I get my clipboard out

It is unsupervised and open to the public so I am assessing if a 6 month interval is enough anyway. I am going to be soooooooooooooooo popular

and they would be unpopular if this happened

Boss in the dock over lift accident
08/12/03

A BUSINESSMAN has been fined £5,000 after an employee was badly injured in an accident involving an unsafe lift.

Thames Magistrates Court heard how on September 27 last year an employee of the EAOO and J. Zeloof Partnership in Brick Lane called the lift to the ground floor of the building.

After waiting, he opened the door to the lift and walked forward. Unknown to him the lift had remained on the second floor and he fell almost four metres to the base of the lift shaft, breaking both wrists.

An investigation arranged by Tower Hamlets Council’s health and safety enforcement team revealed several defects in the lift, one of which allowed the landing door to be opened when the lift was not actually there.

Another contributory factor to the accident was the poor lighting on the ground floor, the court heard.

In a prosecution by the council, Ofer Zeloof, a partner at the company, pleaded guilty to two offences: one under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 for failing to maintain the lift and one under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 for failing to have the lift thoroughly examined every six months.

He was fined £5,000 and ordered to pay £3,442 costs.

Lead councillor for environment Motin Uz-Zaman said: “Accidents involving lifts can result in serious injury and even death. I urge all employers to live up to their responsibilities and get their lifts checked regularly. It could save a great deal of misery and injury.”

That's useful ammo, thanks Stoker

The LOLER guidance leaflet from the HSE says:

"Lifting equipment may need to be thoroughly examined in use at periods specified in the Regulations (ie at least six-monthly for accessories and equipment used for lifting people and, at a minimum, annually for all other equipment) or at intervals laid down in an examination scheme drawn up by a competent person."

It also pays to have a full inspection after a lift failure to ensure ongoing safety.

Frankie C

Ta Frankie, I have a copy of the guidance leaflet now but still want to know if a lift accessible to the public should be serviced more often. I am waiting to talk to the contract engineers about their risk assessment for the examination scheme

I work and live in a multi-story block and our lifts are serviced every month by lift engineers and inspected by an insurance company yearly.

Reg 9: Thorough Examination and Inspection
A thorough examination is required for lifting equipment when it has been installed or assembled in a new location. An assessment must be made of all other work equipment to determine what level of inspection is needed and how often. A thorough examination must be carried out:

a. when the equipment is brought into service for the first time;
b. where safety depends upon conditions after installation, and before being used for the first time.

If it is new equipment that has not been used before, there should be a declaration of conformity which confirms that the equipment has undergone a thorough examination prior to first use.

If the equipment is obtained from another undertaking, as in the case of hired equipment, then a copy of the previous certificate of thorough examination must accompany the equipment.

Thorough Examination Periods:

a. Equipment for lifting persons must be thoroughly examined at least every 6 months.
b. Lifting accessories must be thoroughly examined at least every 6 months.
c. All other lifting equipment must be thoroughly examined at least every 12 months.
d. In addition, all lifting equipment should be thoroughly examined each time that exceptional circumstances liable to jeopardise the safety of the lifting equipment occur.

The employer may decide to examine specific items of lifting equipment at different intervals in accordance with an examination scheme approved by a competent person. The employer of the undertaking where the equipment is to be used is responsible for ensuring a competent person has thoroughly examined the lifting equipment.
In the case of hired in equipment, this will mean checking the reports of the thorough examination prior to the agreed use of the equipment.

The first thorough examination under LOLER should be made before the date on which the next thorough examination under the old Regulations would have been due.

I hope this clarifies the legal requirement

I am writing yet another letter today to the landlord. The 6 months are up very shortly and I am torn between just going there and putting a sign on it saying that nobody from or visiting our office should use the lift or calling in the EHO