Public told to help keep escalators and lifts safe
New Straits Times Online, 25 August 2014 - By C. Premananthini
KUALA LUMPUR: CITY folk are advised to be more civic-minded when using lifts and escalators.
Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH) assistant director Muhammad Shah Ab Rahim advised the public to immediately report to the management of the building if they notice any damage on the facilities.
“The department receives complaints of faulty and poorly maintained lifts daily. Here and in Putrajaya, there are 19,000 lifts and escalators registered with DOSH.”
He said cooperation from all parties is essential to ensure the safety of lifts and escalators, including those in condominiums, City Hall flats, office buildings, shopping malls and hotels.
“As the lifts and escalators are used daily at high-rise buildings, their safety must not be compromised.
“Moreover, the maintenance of lifts and escalators is not cheap. The cost to service them can go up to millions of ringgit,” he said after launching a seminar on occupational safety and health week of Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya at the Dewan Perdana Mestika, DBKL Training Institute in Bandar Tun Razak recently.
He said five accidents involving lifts and two escalators have been reported from January to July this year.
They include a recent case of a child who fell to death from the escalator at one of the shopping malls in the city.
“Among the common complaints received were people being trapped in the lift, frequent breakdown of lifts, expiration of certificate of fitness of lifts and long downtime due to maintenance work.”
He said according to standard operating procedures, inspection and maintenance of lifts must be done by DOSH after 15 months after installation.
“For high-rise buildings, condominiums, the joint-management bodies (JMBs) are advised to be more stringent with their residents who fail to pay the maintenance fees.
He advised the public to look after of the facilities in the building where they live.
The public should not solely rely on the authorities to maintain the facilities.
About 200 people from various sectors including JMBs, residents associations and DOSH staff attended the talk.
A faulty lift under repair at PPR Desa Tun Razak