A building with a faulty or broken lift doesn’t present a promising picture. But beyond aesthetics and box ticking, there are more serious potential repercussions for not having an adequate lift maintenance schedule in place. Rarely is a lift maintenance contract viewed for what it actually is: a frontline defence against avoidable costs, operational impact and potentially even fines and legal action.
The fact is, a good lift maintenance contract does more than keep your lift running; it protects your building, your budget, and your reputation.
What does a good lift maintenance contract include?
A lift maintenance contract worth investing in will:
- Satisfy LOLER requirements for lift maintenance intervals at a minimum (6 months for lifts carrying people, 12 months for goods lifts)
- Provide detailed SLAs for repairs, breakdowns and entrapment
- Provide a detailed record of all lift inspections, repairs, servicing, maintenance and inspections – both scheduled and otherwise
- Keep lifts and parts in good working order
- Tailored preventative planned maintenance (PPM) specific for the type of lift
It is well worth checking what your lift maintenance or servicing schedule covers, to ensure that LOLER and PUWER requirements are fully covered. Some lift companies leave gaps in their offering, which can leave businesses like yours vulnerable to the consequences.
What is LOLER?
The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), anyone who owns or controls lifting equipment in a workplace has a legal duty to ensure it is:
- Subject to a thorough examination by a competent person at specified intervals (usually every six months for lifts carrying people).
- Inspected regularly.
- Maintained in a safe condition.
Failure to comply can result in unlimited fines.
The cost of improper lift maintenance
Failure to have lifts maintained can and does have serious real world implications. GHA Coaches Limited were fined £250,000 for failing to get its lifting equipment thoroughly examined within LOLER required timescales. More than 14 periodic assessments were missed and as such, the HSE fined the company based on the potential risk to users.
Without scheduled lift maintenance in place, and documentation proving your schedules are up to date, you’re at risk of fines from the HSE. However, there are other costly consequences of breaching lift maintenance safety regulations too.
The hidden costs of breaching lift maintenance regulations
On the surface, some low-cost lift maintenance contracts may look appealing. But the real cost often becomes clear when something goes wrong.
Reactive repair costs: Emergency callouts, unplanned part replacements and downtime can cost 3–5x more per year than a well-managed preventive plan.
Insurance hikes: Missing service intervals or poor documentation can trigger increased premiums, invalidated policies and even the outright refusal to gain cover in the first place.
Operational disruption: For hotels or residential blocks, even one lift out of service can result in lost custom and reputational damage – perhaps even legal repercussions due to reduced accessibility.
Enforcement risk: In the event of an incident, the HSE or local authority can issue improvement notices or even enforce temporary closure.
Put simply, choosing a cheap lift maintenance contract is a short-term saving that leads to long-term revenue vulnerability and reputational damage.
It pays to choose Sheridan
Now you can see how much it can cost to choose the wrong lift maintenance contract, what does it look like to invest in the right provider? Working with a reputable lift company that provides comprehensive lift maintenance pays off in multiple ways:
- No cost of finding and bringing in new providers
- Predictable costs
- Simpler budget management
- Reduced stress for facilities managers
- A better experience for staff and visitors
Ready to save money with a comprehensive lift maintenance contract? Call us to discuss a plan tailored to your premises and budget.