Daniel Cheesman of Ardent Lift Consultancy fills us in on the potential Health & safety hazards faced by lift engineers in the course of their work.

As a property ages, so too does its lifts and where passengers will notice any deterioration of the front facing equipment; lift car and landing entrances, their associated work areas can sometimes become neglected. Consequently, there can be numerous issues relating to the health and safety of both passengers and operatives that may not have been addressed with the advent of new regulations and legislation since installation of the equipment.

People working in offices, retail, drivers, etc expect their place of work to be safe and secure. Lift shafts by design include confined spaces, heights, electrical components, heavy machinery and are often pitch black when the doors are closed. However, there are many different areas where we can ensure operatives are kept safe. If you live or work in a property, that uses lifts to transport passengers, the building owners/operators (as detailed in LOLER) have a duty of care to help make the lift engineers workplace as safe as possible.

Whilst it may be impractical for lift owners and operators to constantly update the safety performance of a lift based on regular changes in legislation or regulations, ARDENT Lift Consultancy would recommend a review of safe working conditions on a regular basis, with any planned refurbishment works incorporating the latest safety upgrades as standard. This is an ideal opportunity to do this level of work while benefitting from economies of scale.

Hazardous Areas for Lift Engineers

Listed below are the areas of the lift an engineer must access during the course of the maintenance schedule and the potential hazards that are often present:

Access to the motor room:

Poor access ladder
Heavy roof hatch without support/cantilever
Poor access lighting
Tripping hazards from steps/split levels
Low-headroom hazards
Lack of edge protection/roof barriers

Motor room:

Poor motor room lighting
Overhead beams lower than head height
Slip/trip hazards: Holes in floor (if located above lift shaft), bund walls, oil leaks from machinery
Shearing hazards from unguarded machinery
Exposed electrical equipment/connections
Lack of signage/notices
Lift components containing asbestos: Brake unit, controller equipment (arc shields), landing door insulation

Accessing car top:

Non EN81-20 compliant car top control station
Excessive voids around car top
Poor car top lighting
Safe refuge space not marked
Crushing/shearing hazards: Car top pulleys, ropes, shaft equipment during motion (counterweight, bracketry, etc)
Slip/trip hazards: Door operator, trunking/car top equipment, crown bar (upper car sling beam), oil leaks

Accessing lift pit:

Accessibility (or lack of) stop switch/s
Poor or no pit access ladder
Safe refuge space not marked
Accessibility (or lack of) maintenance controls (EN81-20)
Crushing/shearing hazards from unguarded machinery: Counterweight, pulleys, etc.
No pit prop (hydraulic lifts) or not electrically interlocked
Slip hazards from oil spillage/contamination
Water ingress

ARDENT Lift Consultancy’s bespoke survey reports will highlight any of the above items that should be undertaken in the short, medium and long term, which will enable a structured financial plan to be put in place for the works while minimising the potential for litigation.

Improving the Working Environment

Other modifications, for example painting the lift shaft/motor room/pit, can make an immense difference to the lighting of these areas which improves the working environment for the lift engineers.

The added benefit of this is they will inherently keep up the maintenance and safety standards, which will in turn prolong the lifespan of your equipment.

Would you rather work…