ADVICE & OPINION
KEEPING UP
FMJ AIMS TO SUPPORT TECHNICAL EXPERTISE IN THE FM MARKET
Dave Cooper, MD of LECS (UK), off ers an expert guide to the maze of
legal obligations and standards required during the life cycle of a lift
The responsibility involved and
extensive range of documentary
obligations required to manage
a single li , yet alone a portfolio
of li s, can be migraine inducing.
Adding to this burden is the variation
of requirements depending on the
environment that the li (s) operate
in - o ice block, retail outlet, airport,
ski resort or any combination of these,
as well as the type of equipment used.
With the increase of personal accident
claims and contractual disputes it’s
exceptionally important to get it right
from the outset.
An early replacement of a li means an
early high capital spend as well as the
interruption that goes with it.
INSTALLATION PHASE
At the installation phase you can employ
a consultant to assist you but ensure they
are o ering truly independent advice,
not having a sales-bias or receiving a
commission from a li contractor.
During the installation phase the
16 DECEMBER/JANUARY 2020
li needs to comply with The Li
Regulations and the easiest way to do
this is to ensure compliance with the
EN81 series of European Standards .
More recently EN81-1 and EN81-2
(traction and hydraulic li s respectively)
have been replaced by EN81-20 and
EN81-50. To ensure the li is installed
to the requirements of these standards
there is a parochial British Standard
BS8486 where a number of tests and
checks will ensure compliance.
SERVICE PHASE
The li is now in service. Passengers
are introduced into the risk profile and
owners need to protect themselves
against accidents such as being hit by
doors, slips and trips, mid flight stops
and so on. A good start is to make sure
that you have all of the appropriate
documentation available and that
you employ a reputable maintenance
contractor.
It is alarming how many times I have
encountered a li owner not being able
to lay their hands-on vital paperwork
following an incident. During the
service phase the requirements of The
Li ing Operations & Li ing Equipment
Regulations (LOLER) and The Provision
& Use of Work Equipment Regulations
(PUWER) may apply, as well as the
overarching Health & Safety at Work
Act. In addition, the Occupiers Liability
Act and the Defective Premises Act
need to be considered.
In 2006 the precedent was set that
a li in an o ice building falls under
PUWER as the li is only being used
as part of an employee’s work. I
remember it well as I gave evidence
in the case. The li needs to be
maintained in good condition and a
sound maintenance contract needs
to be entered into. The maintenance
should be appropriate in terms of
what the contract covers and also the
number of visits per annum that the
contractor attends to undertake the
maintenance. Similar to servicing your
car, this generally involves cleaning,
adjusting and lubricating. Contracts
vary and sometimes include the cost
of parts and labour, other contracts
simply undertake these requirements
(cleaning, adjusting and so on) and
anything else is chargeable.
Similarly, a li in a workplace is
subjected to the equivalent of a
MOT test. In the li world this means
LOLER; where a competent person
will undertake a periodic thorough
examination and issue a certificate.
Passenger carrying li s are normally
subjected to six monthly examinations
and non-passenger carrying li s every
12 months. There is an option to vary
this but it is rarely used.
During the service phase there
is an additional requirement for
supplementary tests. These first
appeared in 1984 in a document
issued by the HSE known as PM7 and
subsequently replaced by the SAFed
LG document . It is recognised that the
competent person undertaking the
LOLER examination is unable to access
or examine certain components and
therefore the LG system allows them
to call for supplementary tests on
components such as gearboxes, sha s
and pulleys, door locks, over-speed
governors, safety gears etc.
A er a few years in service, and
the length of time varies with the
appropriate equipment versus quality of
installation, the li will require attention.
CIBSE guide D gives estimated longevity
for li s but also acknowledges that
low cost budget equipment can give a
reduced life span. In reality, I have seen
this as low as just three years. However,
on a general basis you could expect to
get around 10 years from a budget li
package and more for a better-quality
design.
MODERNISATION V NEW
INSTALLATION PHASE
The li will then go into a phase where
modernisation or replacement is
required. Replacement may seem drastic
- particularly a er a reduced longevity
period where one would hope you could
make do and mend. Unfortunately, if
the li was originally badly installed and
don’t get the guides right it will never
be right.
The choice between entering a
modernisation phase or going back to a
new installation phase is o en generated
by reliability problems, component
wear, obsolescence, a lease requirement
and so on. This is the optimum time
to seek advice from a well-qualified
independent consultant.
If the li was installed a er 1997 the
modernisation needs to achieve the
safety requirements originally met by its
compliance with The Li Regulations.
If the li was installed pre-1997 there
is a standard known as EN81-80
(Improvement of safety of existing
li s) where an assessment should be
undertaken to identify any areas where
safety could be improved such as
levelling, door protection and so on.
It’s a maze but keeping a sound
document management system is
important to maintaining the li to a
good standard and being able to prove it
in the event of an incident. Fortunately,
incidents are reasonably rare but they do
happen. From my 38 years of experience
in the sector, I know it’s always best
to get advice from an independent
engineering consultant.
FAST FACTS