If you’re a building, business or lift owner in the United Kingdom, you’re probably wondering how often you need to service your lift. After all, keeping your lifts running smoothly is essential to the operation of your business. So how often should a lift be serviced in the UK?
The answer to this question depends on a number of factors, including the type of lift, the environment it’s used in, and the frequency of use.
Elevators and escalators are linked to more than 30 fatalities per year which highlights the need for a regular lift service. Elevators account for90 percent of those deaths and 60 percent of severe injuries, posing risks for the millions of people using them and those who work around them.
Throughout this guide, we’ll discuss all of these factors and provide some general recommendations for lift servicing, passenger safety and how often you should do it. Let’s go!
Why Service Your Lift?
Lifting Equipment Regulations
According to the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 or LOLER Regulations, all lifts must be regularly examined and serviced to ensure they are safe to use. These work equipment regulations apply to all types of lifts, including passenger lifts, goods lifts, dumbwaiters, and hoists.
You could be fined or even prosecuted if you don’t service your lift according to the regulations. To ensure that you are operating in line with the law, you should aim to have your lift serviced by a qualified engineer at least once every 12 months.
You will also need a LOLER statutory inspection to ensure that your lift meets safety standards. A LOLER Statutory Inspection is a thorough examination of your lift by a qualified engineer. The engineer will check the lift against a number of safety criteria, including:
- The condition of all mechanical and technical parts
- The level of wear and tear;
- Compliance with all relevant safety standards;
- Any potential areas of improvement.
At the end of the inspection, you will be given a report detailing the engineer’s findings. If any problems are found, you will be advised on what needs to be done to rectify them.
Read More: What Does LOLER Stand For in Health & Safety?
Preventative Lift Maintenance
In addition to the legal requirements, there are also a number of safety reasons why you should service your lift. First and foremost, regular lift maintenance ensures that your lift is safe to use. A well-maintained lift is one that is not only serviced in reaction to faults and problems but is also regularly checked to prevent these issues from occurring in the first place.
Preventative lift maintenance visits are vital, especially for a passenger lift. Passenger lift servicing requires both visual and functional checks to be carried out, while also ensuring that the lift meets all current safety standards.
This type of servicing helps to prevent accidents and injuries by identifying and rectifying potential problems before they happen, for example checking that the alarm interlocks operate correctly and the lift doors open and close properly.
In short, a preventative approach with regular servicing is essential for maintaining a safe and reliable lift. It’s also important to remember that the cost of regular servicing is usually far lower than the cost of repairing a lift that has broken down or been involved in an accident.
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Changes To Lifting Operations
Thorough examinations should take place after any changes to lifting operations and lifting equipment, including changes to the way the equipment is used, as well as any modifications or repairs that have been carried out. For example, if you’ve had a new door fitted to your goods lift, the lift should be thoroughly examined to ensure it still meets all safety standards.
If you’re not sure whether your lift needs to be serviced after a change has been made, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and arrange for a lift servicing visit from a qualified engineer.
Lift Errors or Malfunctions
Obviously, if your lift breaks down or starts to malfunction, you’ll need to arrange for a lift servicing visit as soon as possible. Alternatively, you may need an expert repair visit, as in some cases, a lift error or malfunction may be a sign of a more serious problem that needs to be addressed urgently. For example, if your goods lift starts making strange noises, it’s best to have it checked out rather than continuing to use it and risking further damage.
How Often Should a Lift Be Serviced? Key Considerations
Types of Lift
As we’ve mentioned, the type of lift you have will play a role in how often it needs to be serviced, as different lift designs will require different services. For example, an everyday passenger lift will need to be serviced more often than a small goods lift or dumbwaiter. How long does it take to fix an elevator depends on these and more items which our trained experts will take into consideration when they arrange a maintenance schedule. Here are some general guidelines for how often different types of lifts should be serviced:
- Passenger lifts: every 3-6 months;
- Goods lifts: every 3-6 months;
- Dumbwaiters: every 6-12 months;
- Hoists: every 12 months.
Remember, these are just general guidelines. The frequency of your lift servicing will also be affected by the many other factors listed in this guide.
Read More: 13 Passenger Lift Safety Rules Your Building Needs
Usage
How often your lift is used will also play a role in how often it needs to be serviced. A lift that is used frequently will need to be serviced more often than one that is only used occasionally. This is because high usage can lead to more wear and tear, as well as an increased risk of faults and accidents.
For example, a passenger lift in a busy office block will need to be serviced more often than a goods lift in a warehouse that is used infrequently. Consider the usage of your lift when deciding how often to service it.
Age and Condition
The age and condition of your lift will also affect how often it needs to be serviced. A brand-new lift will need to be serviced less often than an older lift, while a lift that is in good condition will need to be serviced less often than one that is in poor condition.
If your lift is showing signs of wear and tear or other elevator problems, it’s important to arrange for a lift servicing visit as soon as possible.
Location & Environment
The location of your lift will also play a role in how often it needs to be serviced. A lift that is located in a clean, dust-free environment will need to be serviced less often than one that is located in a dirty or dusty environment.
This is because dirt and dust can clog up the lift’s moving parts and cause them to wear out more quickly. If your lift is located in a dirty or dusty environment, it’s important to arrange for regular servicing visits to keep the lift in good working order.
These are just some of the factors that you need to consider when deciding how often to service your lift. Remember, if in doubt, it’s always best to err on the side of caution and arrange for a lift servicing visit from a qualified engineer. The location will also affect the cleanliness of your lifts. One thing that many competitors do not give a clear guidance on is how to clean stainless steel lift doors, which is part of the maintenance service.
What should a lift service include?
A service will include checking parts of your lifts such as:
- Landing and car doors and their interlocks
- Worn and other gearing; including main drive system components
- Overspeed Governors (this is a “safety catch” for if a lift car exceeds a certain speed)
- Safety gear
- Suspension ropes
- Suspension chains
- Overload detection devices
- Electrical devices (including earthing, earth bonding, safety devices, selection of fuses, etc)
- Braking systems (including buffers and overspeed devices)
- Hydraulics
- Lift shaft
This list is not exhaustive and is taken from HSE Guidance for Lift Owners.
So – How Often Should a Lift Be Serviced in the UK?
In the UK, there is no legal requirement for how often a lift should be serviced. However, most experts recommend arranging for a lift servicing visit at least once every six months. This will help to keep your lift in good working order and minimise the risk of faults and accidents.
If you’re still not sure how often to service your lift, contact us today. Our team of qualified engineers will be happy to advise you on the best course of action for your lift, environment and usage.
Lift Servicing FAQs
Who inspects lifting equipment?
Proper maintenance ensures that a competent person with adequate skills and certifications carries out a thorough examination of your lifting equipment.
This could be an engineer employed by the company that installed your equipment or a specialist from a third-party company. It’s important to make sure that whoever carries out the inspection is competent, qualified and experienced, as they will need to identify any potential safety hazards.
Does new lifting equipment need to be serviced?
Though a lift examination is required on every piece of new equipment before it is put into service, this does not mean that the equipment will not need to be serviced in the future.
Depending on the type of equipment, how often it is used and the environment it is used in, you may need to arrange for a lift servicing visit every six months, or even more frequently. For hotels, it is important to account for the hotel lift size when discussing the maintenance schedule as well as the flow of passengers.
How often should goods lifts be serviced?
Goods lifts should be inspected at least once a year, or more frequently if they are used heavily. If your goods lift is located in a dirty or dusty environment, it’s important to arrange for regular servicing visits to keep the lift in good working order.
Looking For Expert Lift Servicing in the UK?
At Future Lift Services, we offer high-quality lift installation, repairs, and maintenance & servicing for all types of lifts across the UK. Our team of qualified engineers can offer a suitable servicing schedule at a time and date that suits you, ensuring minimal disruption to your business.