A Lift Breakdown is where a lift abruptly stops working, the cause of this may be human error (like overloading the lift, overuse etc) or faults with the machinery or controls. A lift breakdown is a major problem as it can disrupt businesses, interrupt daily routines and cause other hosts of problems, especially in industries and buildings where a working lift is paramount, like care homes or hospitals.
Unfortunately there is always a looming chance of a lift breakdown happening. At Nationwide Lift Services our goal is to cut down the chance of a lift breakdown occuring to as little as possible, and when a lift breakdown occurs, we know how to deal with it and we aim to sort it as soon as possible.
We have handled lifts breaking down for 30+ years, so by choosing us to fix your lift you are in good hands. We always get to site in excellent timing and we work around the clock to ensure we fix the lift on the first site visit.
Common causes of lift breakdowns
Door Malfunctions – over half of lift breakdowns are caused by door malfunctions so making sure the lift doors are working and in good condition is important. the cause of door malfunctions can range from worn out rollers, faulty sensors or broken locks. To prevent these issues, we come on site and thoroughly clean the door tracks and make sure this is done regularly, we look at the sensors, making sure they are clear and not faulty or damaged and we also lubricate any moving parts, making sure they arent stiff or worn. If the doors bang together harshly, take longer or quicker than normal to open/close or squeak, you should get a lift maintenance visit scheduled.
Electrical Faults – electrical faults (such as power outages, faulty wiring and control system issues) are a frequent contributer to lift breakdowns, Signs of electrical failures can include lifts not responding, any sort of unusual, out of the oridinary noises, and erratic lift behaviour. To fix this we come on site and check electrical components and wiring, reducing the risk of electrical failures which makes the chance of a lift breakdown less liekly. Pay attention to the noise levels, get someone to go in the lift and record, then watch it back and listen for louder sound than normal, listen for any banging, scratching or scraping sounds, any unusual noise is a problem and you should call us so we can sort the issues before they cause a breakdown.
Lift maintenance and its role in preventing lift breakdowns
A lift maintenance is when an engineer visits a site to investigate the lift, this may be for problems or just a general check to ensure the lift is safe and works properly. you should have regular lift maintenance visits. During a lift maintenance visit an experienced engineer will throughly inspect the lift, and fix any sort of problem the lift has, this can solve the problems before they become more serious.
With regular lift maintenance it can greatly reduce the chance of a lift breakdown, minimise disruption to your business, meaning your staff will be able to get back to their duties in better time and ultimately save you money. You can read more about lift maintenance in our blog that we posted.
How to prepare for the event of a lift breakdown
When a lift breakdown occurs you need to be prepared, in this event you need to take swift action. our phone line is 24/7 and we aim to get to the breakdown as soon as possible and get the lift working with minimal disruption. Regular lift maintenance and checking it regularly can help prevent a lift breakdown from occurring. Some ways to prepare include.
Getting your lift checked regulary – get all your lifts checked by a qualfied engineer on a regular basis. A passenger lift is required to have 2 maintenance visits per year (1 for a goods lift) we recommend 4 lift maintenance visits (one visit every 3 months) if its regularly used and important for residents or staff (eg. in a care home or hospital) more frequent lift maintenance may be necessary. Getting your lift checked can help you spot problems and set them right before they cause a lift breakdown or entrapment.
Keep spare lift parts available – keep spare parts of the lift somewhere safe (eg. a cupboard or storage unit) so when an engineer visits site it will take them less time to fix the lift, we do not recommend you fix the lift yourself, let an experienced engineer handle it. there are 272 million hours of global downtime yearly for lifts so keeping spare parts can reduce downtime for your business and get things back up and running quicker.
Trap-ins and what to do if you or someone else is trapped in a lift
A trap in is where a person gets stuck in a lift, its rarely like in the movies where the lift just plummets down floors but this can still rarely happen. Entrapment is a very serious problem where serious injury or death can occur, you and the lift company can be held liable if your lift is clearly unsafe, so making sure your lift is safe is important. You can read more about lift regulations here. if you or someone else is trapped in a lift, this is what you should do.
Stay calm, but make noise – a trap-in is a very stressful event but trying to stay calm will help as when help arrives, you can communicate well and get yourself and everyone else out safely. if you cant call for help shout periodically for aid or bang on the elevator walls.
Call emergency services – if you are trapped in the lift, there is a red emergency button, if you press this it will call the lift company responsible for the lift, as well as the emergency services. The lift company must have a working emergency button for any lift that is installed. If the emergency button doesnt work, call 999 off your mobile phone.
Message or call friends or family members – If you have no internet connection, message friends or family members alerting them on the situation and tell them to call 999, you should also give them the address of the building you are in.
Use your phones flashlight – in the event of a breakdown the lights may cut out, if this happens you should use your phones flashlight to locate the buttons on the lift, also put your phones brightness on max. If your phone is out of charge, refer to tip 1 and 2.
Dont attempt to free yourself – things like trying to break the door or attempting to pry it open can only make things worse and we wouldn’t recommend doing this as it can be unsafe and you wouldn’t know where abouts the lift broke down.
Conclusion
A lift breakdown is often a lift stalling, rest assured the occurence of a lift plummeting is rare. At Nationwide Lift Services we take all calls about a lift breakdown very seriously. We have a 24/7 helpline that takes you straight to one of our staff instead of a call centre, meaning we can get to you as quickly as possible.
If you have any issues with your lifts, please contact us so we can assist you. We aim to respond within 24 hours. Our office number is 01782 562000, or you can email us at info@nationwideliftservices.co.uk.
