Facilities managers juggle numerous responsibilities daily, from managing planned preventive maintenance (PPM) and reactive maintenance to overseeing building projects, contractor selection/management, and regulatory compliance. Among these tasks, we understand that compliance management can be particularly challenging.

When new clients approach us, they often share common frustrations. These include the inconvenience of booking an engineer through a national call-centre, the frustration of current inspection providers letting statutory reports go overdue, or the hassle of escorting a different engineer around the site during each visit. At LiftTech Inspection Services Ltd, we alleviate these burdens for facilities and compliance managers. When you choose to work with us, we streamline the compliance process, taking the hassle out of managing inspections.

This blog will focus on PUWER, LOLER and PSSR regulations and the employer’s obligations with which the accountable facilities or compliance manager has been placed. From ensuring the safety of passenger/goods lifts and dumbwaiters to maintaining the functionality of boilers, expansion vessels, calorifiers or coffee machines, the responsibility is significant.

Firstly, lets separate maintenance and servicing from Examination and Inspection. The Provision & Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) Regulation 5 places a duty on the employer to ensure that work equipment is in efficient working order and undergoes regular maintenance and servicing – this is where your service agent comes in be it your gas-safe engineer or lift repair company. LOLER and PSSR Inspectors SHOULD NOT be the same person undertaking repairs & servicing.

Secondly, like an MOT on a car, certain plant must undergo regular Thorough Examination by an impartial Competent Person. This is a legal safety check under Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations ’98 (LOLER) for lifting equipment (including vertical transportation, stair lifts, personnel hoists etc) or for pressure systems with at least one pressure vessel capable of containing >250 Bar/litres stored energy of a relevant fluid. This can include air receivers (commonly called compressors), steam boilers, expansion vessels, coffee machines, autoclaves and their protective devices. Under PSSR, each pressure system requires a Written Scheme of Examination (WSE) drawing up and certifying by a competent person PRIOR to first use; a service with which LiftTech Inspection Services Ltd can supply.

Under Puwer Regulation 6, employers must ensure items are regularly inspected. As such, certain pressure plant may not reach the threshold to come under PSSR but will still require regular documented inspection - items like Domestic Hot Water Heating Boilers, Calorifiers, Heat Exchangers and smaller Expansion Vessels. This can also include other equipment such as Evacuation Chairs in stairways, Fall-restraint Wires (man-safe wires) on rooftops or even Playground Equipment.

It is important to note that regular servicing does not negate the requirement for periodic Thorough Examination and vice versa.

LiftTech Inspection Services Ltd is here to alleviate these challenges and provide efficient, professional, and reliable inspection services tailored to the unique needs of facilities managers throughout East Anglia.

Booking an inspection with LiftTech is simple and hassle-free. We ensure prompt scheduling and confirmation of appointments, allowing facilities managers to plan inspections at their convenience. Once scheduled, our experienced engineers conduct thorough site visits to assess the condition of all equipment, including passenger lifts, goods lifts, dumbwaiters, boilers, expansion vessels, and calorifiers.

One of LiftTech's standout services is our same-day report capability. We understand the urgency of compliance matters and pledge timely delivery of comprehensive inspection reports which include images of plant and defects. These reports provide detailed insights into the condition of equipment, ensuring facilities managers have the information they need to take necessary remedial actions promptly. Our Written Scheme of Examination service also offers fast turnaround times.

LiftTech prides itself on its agility and responsiveness. As an independent inspection company, we have the flexibility to adapt quickly to our clients' needs. Whether it's a last-minute inspection or full site audit, we are always ready to act promptly, providing peace of mind to facilities managers.

 Furthermore, LiftTech offers national coverage through our membership to the Engineer Surveyor Inspection Network (ESiNET). This network enables us to extend our reliable inspection services across the country, ensuring facilities managers have access to professional inspections no matter their location all with shared inspection and reporting standards.

In summary, LiftTech Inspection Services Ltd is dedicated to simplifying the compliance journey for facilities and compliance managers across the region. With our focus on professionalism, efficiency, and national coverage, we are passionate about providing excellent service at a fair price, helping our clients navigate LOLER and PSSR equipment compliance with ease.