Safe Use of Lifts (19f)
The purpose of this guidance material is to assist employers who have control of lifts, (i.e. through ownership of the building, or by other means such as through the terms of the building lease which might require the occupier-employer to manage, control and/or maintain the relevant lifts), understand their responsibilities under the Commonwealth Occupational Health and Safety legislative framework.
Lifts have the capacity to cause serious personal injury. Ninety-nine incidents notified to Comcare since 1 July 2002 have been identified as relating to building lifts. The majority of these incidents (82) were dangerous occurrences. The remaining notifications (17) were for serious injuries. Claims data indicates that the median time lost and median total cost of lift-related claims as at 30 November 2007 was 0.5 weeks and $2,476 respectively. A small number of the most serious claims have incurred over 100 weeks incapacity and have an estimated total claim cost in excess of $200,000.
Definitions
Who is an employer?
The employers covered by the Occupational Health and Safety Act 1991 (the OHS Act) are Commonwealth departments and agencies, Commonwealth authorities and private sector organisations licensed to self-insure under the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1998 (non-Commonwealth licensees).
What are lifts?
In the National Standard for Plant [NOHSC:1010(1994)] lifts are defined as any permanent plant (or plant intended to be permanent) which is in or attached to a building or structure and by means of which persons, goods or materials may be raised or lowered within or on a car cage, or platform and the movement of which is restricted by a guide or guides and includes an apparatus in the nature of a chair lift, escalator, moving walk or stairway lift, and any supporting structure, machinery, equipment, gear, lift well, enclosures and entrances.
The legislative framework
What is the relevant legislation?
Under the OHS Act, it is the employer’s responsibility to take reasonably practicable steps to:
- protect the health and safety at work of the employer’s employees (section 16(1)
- provide and maintain a working environment (including plant systems of work) that is safe and without risk to their employees’ health (section 16(2)(a))
- ensure that workplaces under the employer’s control are safe and without risk to their employees’ health, and that safe means of access to, and egress from the workplace is provided and maintained (section 16(2)(b))
Lifts are not currently included in the definition of plant under the OHS Act so they are not covered by the provisions of Part 4 - Plant of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 1994 (the Regulations). There is no legislative requirement for employers in the Commonwealth jurisdiction to design register or license lifts.
However, where employers own or have control of lifts, they should take the following steps to ensure that they are meeting their general duty of care:
- meet the requirements of Divisions 5 and 7 of Part 4 - Plant of the Regulations. These divisions specify a range of duties concerning risk management, use or repair of plant, training and record keeping
- ensure that a clearly legible notice is affixed, in a conspicuous place, on the lift or any lifting gear, specifying the safe working load in appropriate metric units or maximum number of people, as may be appropriate
- where an assessment shows a risk to the health or safety of a person working in a lift well from the person falling, objects falling on the person or movement of the lift car, adequate protection of the person is provided, including: a safe working platform; adequate protection decking; and suitable access to the lift well, safe working platform and protection decking
- ensure that a lift is installed, inspected and tested in accordance with AS 1735 Lifts, escalators and moving walks and having regard to the instructions of the designer and manufacturer
More information
Other fact sheets in this series
Additional fact sheets in this series on plant safety:
- 19a - The Definition of Plant
- 19b - Plant - Responsibilities of Employers
- 19c - Plant - Responsibilities of Suppliers
- 19d - Checklist to Identify Plant Hazards
- 19e - Exemption of Hired Plant from Licensing
Government authorities
Safe Work Australia:
- contact by phone: 02 6121-5317 or
- visit www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
Contact Comcare
For further information, contact Comcare's Hotline:
- by phone on 1300 366 979
- by email at ohs.plant@comcare.gov.au
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