A number of incidents have emerged involving tampering with safety devices on platform lifts (vertical lifting platforms) or inappropriate maintenance of door switches, as well as the unlocking of zone bypass switches during maintenance, in a worrying disclosure.
“Combined with deterioration of the doors and their hinges, landing doors have opened when the platform/lift car is not at that landing,” says new HSE guidance (www.is.gd/erutuz). “This resulted in people potentially accessing the lift well when the lifting platform was not at the same floor level/landing. This has resulted in members of the public or workers falling down the open lift well or becoming trapped beneath a descending platform.”
The tampering primarily refers to the bending of switch contacts in the safety-related control parts of the lift. “It is typically carried out by a maintenance technician when the switch becomes temperamental in operation,” explains David Gostick, HM specialist inspector (mechanical). “It gives a more reliable switch operation, but means that it triggers earlier, with the resulting safety issues, such as a false indication that the lift is safe to operate. Other issues can be as simple as replacement of a fastener with the wrong type, which can then work loose and cause a failure.”
LIVES AT RISK
The HSE identifies a number of issues as a result of wear or inappropriate maintenance. These include bent door lock switch contacts (to increase the switch contact force), which can prematurely signal to the control system that the door is locked, allowing operation of the lift platform when the locking pin is only partially engaged with the latch plate. Another area of concern was the poor adjustment of unlocking zone bypass mechanisms, meaning that the switch remains permanently activated, allowing the platform to travel between floors with the landing doors open.
“It would appear that these actions by the maintenance technician are carried out with the intent of keeping the equipment operating and the duty holder satisfied,” adds Gostick, “but without the understanding that, in the medium to long-term, they can result in failings that have serious safety consequences. OEM replacement parts should be sought for safety critical parts such as these.”
This apparent neglect would seem to fly in the face of the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) 1998, which introduced new requirements for the safe provision and use of lifting equipment. Regulation 9 of LOLER (www.is.gd/utesal) requires that all lifts provided for use in work activities are thoroughly examined by a competent person at regular intervals. This applies to lifts and hoists used to lift people or loads.
COMPETENT & THOROUGH
The operative words with regard to any examination are ‘competent person’ and ‘thorough’. A competent person is regarded by HSE as someone who has sufficient technical and practical knowledge of the lift to be able to detect any defects and assess how significant they are.
It is also important that the competent person is sufficiently independent and impartial to allow them to make an objective assessment of the lift. “For this reason, it is not advisable for the same person who performs routine maintenance to carry out the thorough examination, as they are then responsible for assessing their own work,” the executive cautions. Thorough examination may also be supplemented by inspection.
OVERALL RESPONSIBILITY
So, who carries the obligation for ensuring the regulations are adhered to? If you are a lift owner or someone responsible for the safe operation of a lift used at work, such as a facilities manager or supervisor, you are a ‘dutyholder’ under LOLER.
“This means you have a legal responsibility to ensure that the lift is thoroughly examined and is safe to use,” says the HSE. (If you are the owner of a lift used primarily by members of the public, you may also find this guidance helps you to comply with more general health and safety legal duties under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974.)
Lift maintenance companies should ensure that maintenance activities are undertaken by competent personnel, in line with the manufacturer’s instructions and/or guidance, and in accordance with a safe system of work.
“Maintenance of the safety elements of the lift must not affect its safe operation. Modifications intended to keep a lift operating, but which may result in unsafe operation, must not be carried out under any circumstances,” states the HSE.
FATALITIES FROM FALLS
Similar safety issues have also come to the attention of the National Farmers Union (NFU). “Working from height without protection only needs one mistake or lapse in concentration to result in death or serious injury,” says the NFU in its latest guidance (www.is.gd/azayen). “Last year, seven people lost their lives as a result of a fall from height in farm workplaces and many more have suffered life-changing injuries.”
In a bid to eliminate such accidents, the NFU has been working closely with the Farm Safety Partnership (FSP), as well as farmers and growers across the country. For the final three months of 2019, the focus was on working at height.
“If roof work and work at height cannot be carried out using an engineered solution or by contractors, make sure the work is planned,” advises the NFU guidance. “Designate people with the right training, competence and equipment using appropriate access equipment, such as a mobile elevating work platform (MEWP, pictured) or a properly constructed scaffold.”
NFU vice-president Stuart Roberts comments: “While we farmers like to consider ourselves a jack-of-all-trades, we need to start asking ourselves: ‘What if the shoe was on the other foot? Would we let a builder grow our crops or care for our livestock?’ “Even if we’ve always done something a certain way, we need to take the time to consider the safest course of action.
“Whether it’s finding a way to do the job from the ground, investing in training staff or hiring a professional contractor, all it takes is a bit of planning to make sure we have the right people, the right training and the right equipment for the job at hand.”
He concludes: “A safe workplace is not only crucial for our welfare and the welfare of our employees, but also for the sustainability of our businesses, too.”