SINGAPORE: Ahead of a tighter lift maintenance regime set to take effect next month, some town councils here are taking no chances and stepping up measures to help residents feel safer about taking the lift.
The Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) on Jun 16 announced that it would introduce a series of measures to enhance lift reliability and safety, starting by tightening the maintenance regime from July. Some of the measures include having more checks on the quality of maintenance work and educating residents on how to prevent lift malfunctions.
The current regulatory regime requires passenger lifts to be maintained at least once a month, and to undergo examination, inspection and testing once a year. BCA’s regular audit checks indicate that most lifts in Singapore are in good condition and safe to operate, it added.
At Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, the town council has intensified checks on the quality of maintenance work carried out among its approximately 2,700 HDB lifts earlier this year, particularly for lifts that have received safety-related complaints.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Zainal Sapari, said: "We have a tele-monitoring system for our lifts, and we are looking through all our records to check which lifts might have chronic problems, and to focus more on these lifts.
“In fact, when any lift has a reported problem, we try to look at similar models and check on these lifts as well,” he added.
It is a similar situation at MacPherson, which has about 300 HDB lifts. The town council recently doubled spot checks on maintenance work carried out on these lifts.
MP for MacPherson SMC, Tin Pei Ling, said: "We are a very mature estate and we have a lot of blocks that are of a certain age - 30, 40, even 50 years old. We have a lot of elderly (residents) here, so naturally, we're very concerned about the performance of our lifts.
“We want to make sure the lifts are safe and reliable, so that our residents - especially those who are elderly, with mobility issues - can use the lifts, access it in a convenient manner, and with confidence as well."
In Chua Chu Kang GRC, additional checks are also carried out on the older lifts in the estate, as a precautionary measure. According to Chua Chua Kang MP Zaqy Mohamad, property officers would typically walk the ground and pick up feedback from residents and test the lifts personally. “So with that, thankfully we've not had any significant incidents so far," he said.
Beyond just increasing checks, some MPs have shifted the focus to educating residents - both in the older and new flats - on how to use lifts properly. A common complaint they receive is people wedging items in lift doors to keep them open for a prolonged period of time.
Ang Mo Kio GRC MP Ang Hin Kee attempts to educate residents through posters, grassroots engagement and even getting the message out at the upcoming Hungry Ghost festival.
He has also not ruled out enlisting technology. "We do understand that sometimes, there are individuals who are alone and may have to find ways to manage the lift by themselves - (such as people who are) pushing a wheelchair or carrying groceries, grandchildren in prams, and all that,” said Mr Ang. “And to do that, while managing a lift, is difficult sometimes.”
He added: “We're also asking the lift companies to see if there are passenger lifts that have a delay button, one that allows the lift door to stay open for half a minute or a minute longer, so you can move in and out easily without having to resort to wedging the lifts with some other equipment."
Such technology, he said, could be especially useful for those with young children or who have to care for the wheelchair-bound.
- CNA/xk