SINGAPORE : More stringent measures on the maintenance of lifts
have been introduced for greater public safety.
In June last year, a lift at the Excelsior Hotel
malfunctioned.
From the first floor, it shot 22 floors up the lift shaft with its
door wide open, and stopped only when it reached the top floor of
the hotel.
A Canadian businessman in the lift was injured in the freak
incident.
Under changes announced on Tuesday, the Building and Construction
Authority has made it compulsory for building owners to engage
BCA-registered lift contractors which are eligible to bid for
projects worth half a million dollars, to maintain the lifts.
Previously, those eligible for projects worth S$100,000, could also
be employed.
A professional engineer with at least five years' experience in
lift maintenance must also be present to ensure the proper testing
and servicing of lifts.
Speaking on the changes, BCA Commissioner Ding Hock Hui said, "This
is an improvement over what we have over these years. We have been
monitoring the lift failures and it is in fact very low, but I
don't think we will wait for a major accident to occur before we do
some changes."
To help the industry ease into the new measures, there will be a
grace period of three years so that lift contractors can upgrade
their technical skills.
Lifts in Singapore are subject to monthly, yearly and five-yearly
maintenance.
Meanwhile, it was also announced on Tuesday that mixed-use
developments such as a shopping centre cum residential apartment,
as well as low and high-rise buildings, will now have a two-tier
Management Corporation or MCs.
This is ensure such developments can maintain certain properties
separately.
Mr Ding said, "The changes actually came about because of much
feedback from the people in the industry, as well as residential
owners who are being asked to pay for maintenance of facilities
that they don't make use of. So this will facilitate these
arguments with regards to apportionment of maintenance."
The changes will only apply to new developments from April 1 when
the new Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act comes into
effect.
This could be extended to existing developments after the system
has been tried and tested. - CNA