Investigations conducted by the BCA show that the overall standard of lift maintenance can be improved further. (Photo: HDB)
The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will introduce a series of measures to enhance lift reliability and safety, starting with the tightening of the maintenance regime from July 2016.
The move comes after a series of lift-related accidents over the past few months.
The BCA noted that the current regulatory regime requires passenger lifts to be maintained at least once a month, and to undergo an examination, inspection and testing once a year.
In fact, the BCA’s regular audit checks show that most lifts in Singapore are in good condition and safe to operate.
“However, the BCA’s investigations into recent lift incidents revealed that the overall standard of maintenance by lift contractors can be further improved,” it said in a statement.
The new measures will see the BCA introducing specific maintenance standards tied to key outcomes, on top of the current regulatory regime for maintenance of lifts.
“For example, having brakes that are well maintained will help to minimise the risks of incidents like uncontrolled movements of the lift cars. Lift owners and lift contractors are to ensure that the maintenance carried out on the lifts are done thoroughly and achieve these specified outcomes,” said the BCA.
It will also introduce a Permit-to-Operate (PTO) system.
Current lift owners are required to engage an Authorised Examiner (AE) to conduct a full commissioning inspection and tests to ensure compliance with local standards. Thereafter, the AE will issue a certificate to the lift owner.
Under the PTO system, every lift will require a permit to be issued by the BCA before it can be operated, in addition to the current checks and certifications carried out by the AEs.
Starting in the second half of 2017, lift owners will be required to display the permit (which will be renewed annually) inside the lift indicating the lift contractor responsible for maintenance, and the name of the AE who inspected and certified the lift.
To ensure that lift contractors achieve the maintenance outcomes, the BCA will carry out audit checks on lifts and impose penalties on the lift contractor for any non-compliance detected.
With this, the BCA will also look into building up industry capability throughout the entire supply chain from lift technicians who are involved in maintenance, to professional engineers who test and commission lifts.
“This will ensure that the lift industry has the necessary capacity and resources to meet the new regulatory requirements and carry out its duties competently and effectively,” it said.
The BCA added that more details of the new measures, including training programmes and the building up of qualified lift personnel, will be announced later.
“The BCA takes a very serious view on lift safety. We have been engaging the industry and reviewing the lift regulations over the past year, and are now ready to make these changes. We will continue to update and implement new measures to further enhance lift safety in the short and longer term,” said CEO Dr John Keung.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
