Most lifts faulty due to vandalism

Most lifts faulty due to vandalism

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Deplorable: A vandalised lift was part of the exhibits at the dialogue session.

bavanim@thestar.com.my

A WHOPPING RM7.39mil was spent by the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) last year for the maintenance of public housing schemes in the city and of that figure, RM2.5mil was spent solely for repairing faulty lifts.

Federal Territory Department of Occupational Safety & Health (FT DOSH) director Zahrim Osman said 95% of the time the lifts were faulty because of vandalism.

“Lifts in low-cost housing schemes frequently break down due to vandalism and the situation is getting from bad to worse every year,’’ he said at the launch of the Guidelines for Safe Usage of Lifts and Escalators at the PPR Sri Pantai public housing scheme in Pantai Dalam on Saturday.

DOSH director-general Datuk Johari Basri launched the guidelines with the objective of creating awareness on the safe use of lifts and escalators.

The new guidelines are to help lift owners (such as building owners, incorporated owners), approved firms and lift users to have a better understanding of the maintenance requirements and safe operation of lifts and escalators.

“We believe that with these guidelines, the lift owners will have a clear understanding of their rights and can carry out their duties and responsibilities more effectively,’’ Zahrim said.

There are 13,011 lifts in Kuala Lumpur that are registered under the department. Out of that number, 1,630 lifts are at low-cost units.

Meanwhile, the Malaysian Lifts and Escalators Association (MALEA) president Soon See Leak said the most common parts in the lifts that were stolen are lift buttons, landing indicator, car operating panel, wall light, door roller, weight spring buffer and PC board counter.

“These parts are very expensive and can cost up to RM10,000 to RM40,000 per lift,’’ he said.

“We need to educate the public on the importance of caring for their lifts as they are the ones who will suffer when the lifts break down. They are also the ones who are paying for the maintenance of lifts,’’ added Soon.

About 100 residents from various public housing schemes attended the launch which was followed by meeting with the people from DOSH, DBKL and MALEA to create awareness on the do’s and dont’s of lift usage.

DOSH is the body that issues the approval certificates for lifts that are safe for operation.