Lift maintenance and inspections

Reference documents

Please note that this list is not exhaustive. Check that the documents quoted are the most up to date versions:
•The Lift Regulations 2016.
•Provision and use of Work Equipment Regulations 1998 (Puwer).
•Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (Loler).
•Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999.

Routine maintenance

The routine maintenance of lifts in schools is a delegated responsibility.

The consultant must arrange for the routine maintenance of lifts in all non-school buildings in accordance with current legislation and manufacturers instructions.

Servicing is to be made clear by dated service labels or bar codes in each lift car updated following each service visit.

Following receipt of the thorough examination reports the service provider (SP) must inform the insurance manager and the relevant department contact of any identified defects that will not be carried out by the time of the next thorough examination and the reasons behind that decision.

The SP must inform the insurance manager of any exceptional circumstances (ie. accidents, significant changes in conditions of use, long periods out of use, etc) that could affect the safe operation of the lift.

Insurance inspections

To meet the requirements of Loler the county council's insurance manager will arrange for all lift installations to be thoroughly examined by the county council's insurers as follows:

• First use if not a new installation.
• At statutory intervals as required (six monthly for passenger lifts or annually for goods lifts).
• Following exceptional circumstances.

Copies of the thorough examination reports are circulated by the insurance manager to the SP for action.

Where necessary the county council's insurers will notify the head of establishment, insurance manger and SP if the lift needs to be taken out of service immediately.

Safety inspections

In addition to the routine monthly servicing and the six monthly Insurance Inspections the county councils insurers recommend that it is necessary to test the various safety devices on the lift in accordance with the Safety Assessment Federation (SAFed) guidance. The lift maintenance contractor can normally carry out these tests and provide the necessary documentation but at an additional cost to the normal maintenance contract.

The SP must arrange for these tests to be carried out at all non-school buildings.

Record keeping

Reports of thorough examinations and other documents (such as a declaration of conformity and the current record of inspection) should be readily available to inspectors from the relevant enforcing authority should they request to see them. Where possible copies of such information should be stored at the premises.

Maintenance records must be made available to the county council's insurers when they carry out the thorough examination inspections.

All records should be kept as follows:

• A "Declaration of Conformity" under the Lifts Regulations 2016 for as long as the lift remains operational.
• A report of a thorough examination carried out prior to the first use of a lift for as long as the lift remains operational.
• All other thorough examination reports until the issue of the next report or the expiration of two years whichever is the later.
• Safety Inspection Records must be kept until superceded by a more recent report.

Records may be kept for longer periods if the information they contain assists in identifying repeated defects or indicating trends, eg of wear or damage. Periodic review of this information should be part of the management arrangements for controlling the lifting equipment.