Lift Owner's Guide: How to Evaluate Lift Maintenance Contracts & Lift Maintenance Companies
As a lift owner in Singapore, you are responsible for regular maintenance of your lifts—but it's not just about complying with the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Regulations (Lift, Escalator and Building Maintenance) 2016. It's also about offering a safe experience for all who use your lift.
This guide will cover how to choose a suitable lift maintenance contract and how to evaluate lift maintenance companies. We'll delve into the differences between standard and comprehensive maintenance contracts, and provide important tips to identify a suitable vendor for your needs.
Lift Maintenance is Mandatory in Singapore
In Singapore, it is mandatory for lift owners to employ the services of a registered lift service contractor for lift maintenance. Lift owners could face a fine of up to $5,000 if periodic maintenance of lifts is overlooked.
Registered lift contractors like Hin Chong can be found in the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) directory of registered contractors and licensed builders.
Standard vs Comprehensive Lift Maintenance Contracts
Choosing a lift maintenance contract in Singapore involves understanding the differences between standard and comprehensive options.
While lift maintenance companies may offer packages with different scopes of coverage, the BCA has advised on the key differences between standard and comprehensive lift maintenance contracts, such as:
Cost: Standard contracts are usually the more affordable, no-frills option.
Parts replacement: Standard contracts usually do not include the cost to purchase and replace worn out and defective parts. Such fees will be charged on top of your regular lift maintenance.
Evaluating Lift Maintenance Companies: What to Look For
Choosing the right lift maintenance company is crucial for the longevity and safety of your lift. Consider the following factors advised by the BCA when choosing your lift maintenance company:
Performance
A good lift maintenance company should demonstrate technical knowledge and understanding to run and maintain lift equipment.
For more complex issues, the team should either possess the technical know-how or be able to get support from the Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM).
They should also be able to advise on the time needed for regular maintenance and be able to respond swiftly to emergencies like entrapment incidents. A tip would be to find out their response time to incidents and breakdowns (for instance, Hin Chong has a 45 minute dispatch time for entrapment incidents.
Reliability & Track Record
Find out more about the lift company during your procurement process to gauge its reliability and service quality. Some information that you can ask for include:
Track record of servicing other lifts of similar make.
The number of lift maintenance technicians assigned per lift
Number of current projects the company has on hand
ISO and safety certifications
Insurance
Other Factors to Consider
Qualifications and Certifications
bizSAFE: This proves that the lift maintenance company's work processes comply with the Workplace Safety and Health (Risk Management) Regulations
Certificate of Competency (CoC): Technicians who have attained the Certificate of Competency (CoC) in Lift Maintenance for Lift Specialists will be better trained to service your lifts
How the 2024 Maintenance Control Plan (MCP) Guidelines Affect Lift Maintenance
The 2024 MCP recommends a forward-looking life cycle approach to lift maintenance. Lifts are to undergo regular periodic maintenance, while taking a two-stage approach towards parts replacement. Older lifts should also be assessed for their safety and undergo condition assessments to determine if they should be modernised.
The traditional reactive approach towards parts replacement often causes long periods of downtime due to the need to source for replacement parts from overseas locations.
An MCP is unique for each lift and contains details for the regular lift maintenance requirements. It also helps define the replacement criteria for each lift component during the lift’s operating lifespan. With an MCP in place, there is absolute clarity as to when a lift component needs to be replaced or modernised.
This aids in planning and budgeting for replacement costs, and enables your lift maintenance company to secure the components that are necessary for replacement well in advance.
We highly recommend you to discuss and work out an MCP(s) with your chosen lift maintenance company. This will not only help make lift operations safer for lift users, it will also significantly benefit your planning and budgeting efforts as a lift owner.
We hope that this guide will help you make an informed decision when selecting a lift maintenance company and contract. Feel free to get in touch with us for more personalised advice or to request for a quote.
