Lift service and maintenance for a home lift or stair lift

The Department of Labour's guidelines to the Lift, Escalator and Passenger Conveyor Regulations, 2009 set out what applies. We repeat only what they say.

• Private homes are covered. The regulations apply to persons who have lifts on their premises, and the department's note says the scope also applies to lifts installed in a private residence.
• Registration. Before a lift is installed, a form has to be submitted to the provincial director, who allocates an official number, and before it is used there has to be a valid comprehensive report from an inspection service provider.
• The user is the owner. The department's note says the user of the lift is its owner. If you rent or live in a complex or estate, confirm in writing who carries these duties.
• Maintenance. The user must designate a competent lift service provider to examine and maintain the lift at least once a month, or at longer intervals the manufacturer sets. The regulation adds that an inspector may prescribe the intervals instead.
• Inspection. The lift has to be inspected and tested by an inspection service provider before first use, after any modification or failure, when the maintenance provider changes, and at intervals not exceeding 24 months, or shorter intervals if the user's own risk assessment says so.
• Stair lifting platforms. The department's note says maintenance requirements apply to lifts, escalators and stair lifting platforms among others. Whether a chair stair lift is treated the same way is something we could not settle from the sources we found.

The first four points above are the regulations as reproduced in the guideline document, and the notes are the department's own guidance. These are summaries, not legal advice. Ask whoever quotes what applies to your lift, and read the regulations themselves if it matters.

The regulations describe a competent lift service provider as a person who employs competent lift mechanics, or a self-employed competent lift mechanic, who contracts with the user to maintain, examine and test the lift. They describe an inspection service provider as a person who employs a lift inspector and is approved by an accrediting authority. These are the regulations' own terms, and we don't claim them for ourselves.

• Who will examine and maintain this lift, how often, and what does it cost?
• Who will arrange the inspection report, and what does it cost?
• What does the maintenance plan cover, and what is extra?
• What happens if it breaks? Who comes, and how do I reach them?

A lift that is cheap to buy and costly to look after can end up the more expensive choice. Ask for the running costs in writing.

Suppliers say stair lifts run on rechargeable batteries and need little electrical work, which is a reason people buy them. The same questions apply: who services it, how often, and what is covered. If a lift is used again after a long time unused, ask for it to be checked before anyone rides it.