As a commercial building owner or manager, it’s your responsibility to ensure your space is safe for staff, visitors and customers. One area of concern for many landlords is the lifts, especially as downtime can make areas of your building entirely inaccessible for so many people. So, we know that an operational lift is vital for accessibility, but how do you make sure your lift is always safe? Maintenance is key to lift safety.
This article will explore the key considerations for any building owner going into 2022 with one or multiple lifts. Grab your diary and make notes now so you can minimise the risk of any major outages in the coming months.
LOLER Thorough Examination
As you will already know, the LOLER (Lifting Operations Lifting Equipment Regulations) Thorough Examination is a regular inspection required by the HSE to ensure maximum safety for all lifting equipment. Remember, LOLER doesn’t just apply to passenger lifts – it’s a consideration for all lifting equipment like goods lifts and stairlifts.
According to the HSE, you need to ensure that a thorough examination is carried out:
- Before the equipment is used for the first time – unless the lift has a Declaration of Conformity of less than one year and it was not assembled on site. If you’re not sure whether your new lifting equipment qualifies for this inspection, ask your lift engineer, and they will be able to advise in accordance with HSE guidelines.
- After assembly and before use at each location – this is relevant for equipment that requires assembly before use, like tower cranes.
The HSE also recommends that inspections are carried out “regularly, while in service” – but how often is “regularly”? The frequency of thorough examinations is typically dictated by the type of equipment you have. When you speak to your lift engineer, they will recommend booking inspections at intervals of either six or 12 months. The examination must be carried out by a qualified person and drawn up by a “competent person.”
You will also need to carry out a LOLER thorough examination following any “exceptional circumstances” such as lift damage or failure, or if the lift has been out of use for a long period of time. So, even if an engineer has fixed the fault at hand, you will need to have a LOLER inspection separate from the maintenance.
To ensure you don’t miss any deadlines and risk having noncompliant lifting equipment in your building, contact Rise today to book your LOLER thorough examinations in advance.
SAFed Supplementary Testing
While the HSE requires LOLER Thorough Examinations for all lifting equipment, we also recommend additional SAFed Supplementary Testing to ensure maximum safety and minimum downtime for your lifts.
Although SAFed Supplementary Testing is not a legal requirement, it can help you to identify potential issues before they cause outages and, ultimately, cost you more money in repairs and downtime.
The SAFed Guidelines are guidance notes for property owners and managers designed to supplement the LOLER Thorough Examination, which is required on all commercial lifts by law.
Unlike LOLER inspections, there is no clear interval for you to carry out SAFed Supplementary testing. So, we recommend getting in touch with us to speak to our engineers about your requirements and get booked in for the year ahead.
PUWER Compliance
If you are responsible for any equipment in a commercial environment, including a lift, you must ensure PUWER compliance.
The Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) covers a wide range of health and safety requirements in your building, including LOLER.
While LOLER covers passenger lifts, goods lifts, and stairlifts, PUWER relates to the suitability and maintenance of all equipment, including planning operations and training equipment users. Therefore, lift maintenance is just a part of PUWER. Like LOLER, PUWER compliance is a legal requirement. Failing to meet LOLER and PUWER’s standards could put your business, employees and visitors at significant risk.
Get on top of your lift compliance and safety, give us a call or drop us an email to book your 2022 inspections.