HEALTHCARE LIFTS
continuous. If you consider the life of a lift to be 20 years, and the estate has a portfolio of buildings of different ages with 20 or more lifts, which is not uncommon in most Trusts, modernising just one lift a year means it will be life expired by the time the other lifts have been completed, thus requiring another round of investment – a painting of the Forth Bridge scenario. We have seen lifts modernised three times with only guide rails, car, and counterweight surviving from the original installation. We also commonly see partial modernisations where (usually) just the controls have been replaced. The reasons for only partially modernising a lift can be budgetary, or often a knee-jerk response to a contractor-led recommendation, usually because the company concerned is struggling to satisfactorily repair an unreliable lift. Partial modernisations are not a good solution because: n They address only one (or a limited number) of equipment areas. This leaves the residual equipment behind in terms of standards, performance, and wear through age.
n The interface between new and residual equipment can lead to technical incompatibility. This is particularly the case when a new door operator is expected to work with existing doors. A better-engineered solution is often possible, but because partial modernisations are of lower value, they are usually handled at local office level, and so do not receive formal engineering input – quite often, without installation drawings. Consequently, the lift does not perform well, due to poor quality work, because the site installation engineer is left to his own devices to just get the lift working again.
John Newbold said: “It is clear that a consultant should be employed with knowledge not just of lift engineering, but also of healthcare requirements, to develop a lift modernisation/replacement design, as opposed to a contractor-led solution.”
n Partial investment can also give the impression to senior stakeholders that the lift has essentially been renewed, with the oft-repeated phrase, ‘We only modernised that lift last year’. This makes the case for planned programmed investment more difficult, especially as the newer equipment subject to the partial modernisation is inevitably replaced ahead of its lifecycle expiry – a case of good money after bad. The legacy of partial modernisation impacts reliability and performance, and should be avoided until a considered modernisation can be budgeted and planned.
info@shj.co.uk
Sound design advice HTM 08-02 offers sound design advice, and recommends alignment to current standards wherever possible; important if the brief is to extend the working life by 20 years. There are also other beneficial design features open to a lift modernisation design not generally available in a new lift installation, because lift modernisations are typically bespoke. Antibacterial buttons, customised display screens, automatic rope tensioners, and robust doors and architraves, are all facets that can be introduced through considered and intelligent design. Comprehensive modernisations or
01494 782168
Founded in 1967, SHJ is a leading supplier of medical gas pipeline systems and services and a market leader in remote AI monitoring and energy-saving technologies.
Winner of Healthcare Supplier of the Year 2021, we have been delivering leading innovations to NHS & private sector healthcare providers across the UK for over 50 years.
Medical Gas system design
Installations
Refurbishments & upgrades
Energy Saving Technologies
Plant Servicing
YOUR MEDICAL GAS OUR RESPONSIBILITY
May 2023 Health Estate Journal 53 Planned
Preventative Maintenance
www.shj.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60
