As we’ve begun to reach new heights in construction, with
buildings easily stacking tens of storeys on top of each other, it was only
natural for us to begin investing in quality lifts for our buildings in an
attempt to not have to climb the endless sets of stairs.
As a usual part of nearly every commercial building with 2
or more storeys, lifts remain a great way to travel. They also remain one of
the safest mechanisms we use today, being 20 times safer than escalators,
meaning all of those horror movies of free-falling lifts are actually an
extremely remote reality.
If you’re a building owner with a lift installed, you will
already know how beneficial they can be to the day to day operations of your
premises, however, like all machinery, lifts can sometimes run into issues. As
lifts are such an essential component, you will obviously want to get it back
up and running at optimum efficiency. However, it’s important to not carry out
any work yourself and, instead, should hire a licenced elevator maintenance
company for any repairs that are needed.
Aside from being able to expertly fix any problems, there
are a range of reasons and benefits for hiring a professional. As expert lift
maintenance specialists, we’ve helped countless lift owners not only comprehensively
repair their elevators but also maximise their efficiency. With this in mind,
we decided to highlight why you need the help of a lift professional.
Lift maintenance and the law
As you may know lifts are subjected to various regulations
to ensure that they are both serviceable for everyone and are safe to use.
Firstly, the Equality Act 2010, which replaced the previous Disability
Discrimination Act, requires public and commercial buildings to ‘make
reasonable adjustments for disabled people, with lifts being a prime example of
the regulations ensuring everyone can access the premises. With this in mind,
if your lift is out of action for a long period of time, you could be breaking
the Equality Act.
The other main piece of legislation is known as the Lifting
Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER). The regulations are
focused primarily on the proper and safe functioning of lifting equipment
throughout the UK, including traditional elevators.
One of the caveats noted in the regulations is that the
owner of the lift is responsible for its running and are required to take all
the necessary precautions to minimise the chance of injury or death. Thus, if
an incident occurs and it is discovered that you didn’t enlist the help of a
licenced lift maintenance professional you will be in direct contravention of
the regulations.
With this in mind, by having a trained technician carry out
regular maintenance checks on your lift, you can ensure you’re remaining
compliant with elevator regulations.
Staying safe
While the laws put in place for lifts are focused on the
safety of those using your unit, it’s important to remember that, by trying to
carry out any kind of lift maintenance yourself, you are putting yourself in
significant danger.
As you probably realise, lifts are complex systems of
pulleys and electrical components, which require a keen understanding of how
they operate. Engineers are usually required to have at least an NVQ level
three in engineering maintenance and an in-depth knowledge of both the various
models of lifts and the equipment used to carry out repairs.
Even if you think that minor issues can be fixed with a bit
of DIY, you could end up causing more damage, costing you more money and
potentially putting yourself and others in danger, so why take the risk?
Customer retention
If you’re a business with an operating lift on your
premises, you may be surprised to realise how significant your unit can be when
it comes to customer retention. A quality lift can allow clients and employees
to quickly and easily get to where they need to be rather than trudging up the
stairs. Some customers will also rely on access options such as lifts due to
disability.
It’s for this reason that, if a customer or employee has to
use a faulty lift or worse, cannot access the unit due to being out of action,
this can leave a lasting negative impression. It may even say to potential
clients that, if this is how your building is treated, how well is your
business run? On the other hand, having a technician to hand who can quickly
tackle issues that may arise shows initiative and can get your building running
efficiently.
Modernisation
Maintenance isn’t the only service that a lift company can
offer, as they also have the skills to effectively modernise your unit.
Replacing the various components that make up a lift with fresh and superior
equipment and upgrades can inject a new lease of life into your unit, providing
a range of benefits.
For starters, modernisation can drastically improve efficiency and reliability.
Working faster and more efficiently, a modernisation service can also minimise
the amount of breakdowns. This can have a knock-on effect of reducing the
number of maintenance checks that your lift will require and will, in turn,
save you a fair amount of money in the long run.
A modernised lift also has the added benefit of increasing
your building’s overall value as well. As many modernisation services also
offer aesthetic changes, you can update the interior of your lift, making it as
stunning as the rest of your building.
How to find the best lift companies
Of course, while it is important to have maintenance and
modernization services carried out, it’s equally important to ensure you’re
hiring the right team. As some technicians offer a more comprehensive lift
service, it is important to look out for the signs of quality.
To begin with, it’s always good to check that your chosen
lift contractor is fully licenced and accredited. Luckily, there are a range of
governing bodies that ensure they’re members are working to spec, such as Safe
Contractor and Construction Online.
Also, as you never know when a breakdown may happen, it’s
important to work with a contractor that can offer a 24 hour emergency service
so that you’re never caught out without professional help.
Finally, it can be a good idea to check out previous work
and to see how long the contractor has been in the business. Lift technicians
who are proud of their work will be more than happy to point you to previous
case studies that they have worked on and, with some contractors doing business
for decades, they are more likely to have the skills necessary to carry out the
job to the letter.
In need of a quality lift repair company? Get
in touch with ADL Lift Services today
Your lift is a vital part to a successful business premises,
which is why it’s so important to hire a team of professionals to keep it
running at optimum efficiency. With over 80 years in the industry, ADL Lift
Services has worked hard to cement ourselves as one of Scotland’s leading lift
maintenance, design and manufacturing companies.
Offering a range of solutions for your lift issues, from
expert modernisation breathing new life into an old unit, to the design and
manufacturing of bespoke lifts that are the perfect fit for your premises, you
can count on ADL to offer you the highest quality service possible.
If you would like to learn more about how ADL Lift Services
can help you, why not get in touch with a member of our team on 01698 277 009
or visit
our website
for more information on our range of products and
services.
