HEALTHCARE LIFTS
control menus is often limited compared with the access afforded to their own engineers. Technical product support from
OEMs to other service companies is only provided (if at all) by an expensive engineer’s visit. This contrasts with open market products, where remote technical support and information are available to all lift service contractors. Handover documentation provided by OEMs does not usually include detailed technical manuals for the installed equipment, and a more recent trend is for them to retain signed test sheets. These should be provided by the OEMs at handover, and should be insisted upon. Signed test sheets are a requirement of HTM 08-02, along with completed Appendices C and D (supplements to the tests sheets) and other handover documentation. We also pay particular attention to the provision of safe systems of work/repair instructions, and the detail for passenger release in handover documents – even more essential in MRL lifts.
Whichever maintenance contract coverage is in place, independent auditing is essential, argues SVM Associates.
replacement should consider how the hospital requirements may have changed over time, and how the lift design should change to accommodate it. A fundamental consideration is whether the lift plays a part in the life safety strategies – from its cause and effect response to a fire alarm, through to converting it to a firefighters’ or evacuation lift. HTM 05-03 outlines factors and advice in deploying evacuation lifts, but close consultation with the Fire Safety Team is essential to ensure that the lift tailors with the particular strategy of the building.
Employing a consultant 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. The Trust AE (Lifts) should be able to advise on this, and provide a brief enabling a fee quote to be generated. Of course, new-build developments
incorporate new units which are now likely to be machine room-less (MRL) lifts. These are usually commodity products, and as such are less robust than older, ‘traditional’ lifts – even when they are classed as heavy duty ‘hospital’ lifts. Lifts supplied and installed by Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) give rise to additional issues. Despite their claims to the contrary, OEM lifts are more difficult for a lift company other than the installer to maintain; parts are available but expensive, and access to the diagnostic
54 Health Estate Journal May 2023 A case could be made for OEM lifts
where the entire hospital can enter into a new suitable maintenance contract with the OEM installer, but this would need to be on a long-term basis, with mechanisms for price control and delivery quality.
Are escalators in hospitals a good idea?
Appendix H of HTM 08-02 relates to guidance in the provision of escalators. Escalators are featuring more frequently in newer hospitals, usually located in the main reception. Escalators are an excellent means to transport large volumes of passengers over a short distance; hence their application in transport interchanges and shops, where they allow browsing while riding and transferring between escalators.
Hospitals have neither requirement, and so the incorporation of escalators into a hospital design is more a matter of aesthetics than function. We would urge caution for designers contemplating an escalator in a hospital scheme, for two compelling reasons: n The very nature of escalators – the public interacting with a moving machine – means the incidence of accidents is more than in lifts. and they are often more severe, involving falls, and potentially trapped body parts. This is magnified when the escalator users are elderly, physically or mentally impaired, or emotionally distressed – typical of many hospital users.
n Maintenance of escalators is expensive. Main wearing parts such as step chains and handrails can cost many thousands of pounds, and the access to most equipment is a two-man activity, where steps are removed (and thus time-
consuming). If a barriered escalator in a busy public area is undesirable, this might also be scheduled for a quiet time, adding further cost to the maintenance price because of overtime. If escalators are installed, clear and
obvious signage is needed to point out alternative routes such as stairs and lifts. Staff need to be stationed (at reception perhaps) to intervene when people intending to use the escalators would be better served using the lift.
Why appoint an Authorising Engineer (Lifts)?
Lifts need active consideration and management, as they are essential to the smooth running of the healthcare facility. HTM 08-02 is a good source of sound advice and compliance, and that, along with the Authorising Engineer (lifts) overseeing policy and process, should ensure compliant and reliable lifts in service.
John Newbold
Time served with Otis, John Newbold CEng, MIET, has spent his entire career in the lift industry, and is now director of SVM Associates’ VT (Vertical Transport) team of nine engineers. He has an HND in Electrical and Electronic Engineering, which supported his eventual position of regional field service technician for Otis. This technical background enables him to take an active role in guiding projects and forming technical policy. He takes an active interest in industry developments, not just in the UK, but across Europe and the US, and is a member of North American Elevator Contractors (NAEC). He advises Houses of Parliament Strategic Estates on lift design and procurement, and acts as Authorising Engineer (Lifts) for a number of NHS Trusts. In addition to overseeing the VT projects, he often acts as expert witness in legal disputes. He sits on the BCO Technical Committee for lifts, and is a Chartered Engineer.
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
