Ensuring Business Continuity: The Impact of Reliable Lift Repair in Emergencies

Lifts are hardy pieces of machinery, and we don’t often think of them as something that can break easily. However, with so many small parts working together, sometimes disaster can strike and you’ll run into an emergency. In a business setting, this can not only be incredibly frustrating and time-consuming, but at worst it can pose harm to building occupants.

Fortunately, lift maintenance companies are available to help when you need lift repairs fast. Plus, with routine maintenance, you can fortunately reduce the risk of getting into an emergency situation in the first place.



What is the Legal Responsibility of a Lift Owner?

In the UK, the person in charge of a building - such as the landlord, building manager or owner, developer or council (in the case of public sector properties) is typically responsible for lift repairs. If this is you, your responsibilities will include the following:

Lift Maintenance

As the responsible person, it’s your duty to ensure that lifts are properly maintained. This includes regular inspections, servicing and repairs by competent and qualified engineers. Lifts should always be maintained in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations and industry standards.

Thorough Examinations

You must also arrange for a thorough lift inspection by a competent person at regular intervals. The examination is carried out to assess the lift’s safety and compliance with relevant regulations. The time between inspections will depend on the type of lift and how often it's used, but it’s typically recommended at least every six months for passenger lifts.

Compliance with Regulations

You must be sure that the lift meets the requirements of relevant regulations, such as the Lifts Regulations 2016 and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER). These regulations cover various aspects of the lift, including safety, design, construction, installation and operation. You can seek advice on how to comply from an expert elevator engineer.

Safety Measures

The responsibility of having appropriate safety measures in place is up to you as the lift owner. This may include providing clear instructions for operating the lift, putting up proper signage, maintaining emergency comms and installing safety devices such as interlocks, emergency lighting and alarm systems.

Record-Keeping

You must maintain records of when lift maintenance, thorough examinations and any repairs or modifications have been made. These records should be kept for a specified period, typically five years, and be available for inspection by the authorities upon request.

What Happens If Lift Repairs are Neglected?

Of course, not everyone will heed warnings about the importance of routine maintenance, believing that lift breakdowns are rare enough that it simply won’t happen to them. Because of this, here are some of the consequences of neglecting lift repairs to emphasise why not to.

Safety Risks

Naturally, the number one consequence to lift repair neglect is compromised safety for users. In the event of a lift breakdown or malfunction, users could be trapped inside the lift, or even suffer from bodily injuries which can prove to be fatal in severe cases.

Much like using any mode of transport, there is always a risk of accidents; however, a lot of the time, these risks can be mitigated by keeping an eye out for signs that your lift needs to be serviced and acting accordingly.

Business Disruption

In a large commercial property, a lift breakdown can massively slow down operations, or halt them altogether. Depending on the business, this can have huge ramifications, resulting in large chunks of downtime and financial loss. It also hinders workers with mobility issues who, without being able to use the lift, cannot access their workstations on higher floors of the building - an issue which is not only frustrating for the workers themselves, but also creates more problems of efficiency for the business.

Legal Action

As mentioned above, lift owners have a legal responsibility to building occupants, and are liable to ensure that their lifts are regularly maintained and kept in good condition. Failure to do so could result in legal action against the building owner. It’s often the case that tenancy agreements require lift repairs to be carried out, and service providers might have agreements in place to guarantee that urgent repairs are dealt with quickly.

An example of a situation where legal action could be taken is in the event of an accident caused by lift emergency. If it’s determined that the person in charge was negligent in organising for proper maintenance and repair work, you may be held liable for any injuries or damages that occur in the lift. This can result in significant financial and reputational damage, not to mention the emotional toll of being involved in a serious accident.

It’s also important to note that legal action can come from various sources, including residents, visitors and regulatory bodies, meaning that you have a lot of people to answer to if something goes wrong. In any case, it’s always worth having your back covered by scheduling repair work when the emergency occurs, and not waiting til it’s too late.