Performance of lift work
Work carried out on lifts requires competence and proper qualifications. The possessor can clean the car interior or replace e.g. a light source or mirror, if such work is performed inside the lift car. Lift work qualification is required for any other kind of work performed on lifts.
Preconditions for carrying out work on lifts and proper qualifications
If your company wants to carry out lift maintenance, repair or alteration works, you should ensure that:
- you have hired a lift work supervisor with the proper competence. The lift work supervisor of your company shall ensure that lift work is conducted in a safe manner and that the end-result is safe.
- the employees carrying out lift work have proper training and relevant experience for carrying out the work
- you report all lift work to Tukes.
Achieving the proper qualifications requires applicable training, sufficient experience of working in the lift industry and a passed lift safety degree (the Act on Lifts and Safety Components for Lifts 1134/2016 and the Government decree on the safety of lifts 1433/2016). Tukes organises vocational lift safety exams. Henkilö- ja yritysarviointi SETI Oy evaluates the fulfilment of the criteria for lift work qualification, awards lift work qualification and issues the certificates of qualification. You can find companies qualified for lift work in the Tukes operator register.
Lift work supervisor
The lift work supervisor ensures that:
- lift work is in compliance with the Act on Lifts and Safety Components for Lifts
- the lift, as a result of the work carried out, is in accordance with the requirements of the Act on Lifts and Safety Components for Lifts
- the persons who carry out lift work are competent and have received sufficient instructions to perform their tasks.
In practice, the tasks of a lift work supervisor largely involve guiding the work, ensuring the competence of the employees, instructing them, providing tools and managing the external framework of the work. The lift work supervisor should be familiar with the safety issues pertaining to lift work and current lift safety requirements and continuously maintain their own skills and competence. The lift work supervisor should also be in touch with practical lift work.
Requirements for performing lift work
Person who carries out unsupervised lift work shall have sufficient professional competence, and
- have passed an examination of professional competence suitable for lift work and have at least half a year of sufficiently extensive experience of lift work, or alternatively
- have three years of experience of lift work and adequate basic knowledge of the field (Lift Safety Act 1134/2016, section 45).
The lift work supervisor must assess the employee's suitability for the work task assigned and the fulfilment of the requirements for working alone. If the requirements for unsupervised work are not met, the employee must work in a team under supervision and guidance.
Requirements for all work performed on lifts
The installation of a new lift is governed by the Lifts Directive and the harmonised national legislation of the Member States and, thus, it falls outside the sphere of application of any specific national requirements set out for notification, registration or lift work qualification. For the purposes of the Act on Lifts and Safety Components for Lifts, the construction and assembly of new lifts are not considered lift work. However, the installation of a new lift is largely subject to the same requirements as lift work.
As a basic requirement, all employees engaged in lift work and the installation of new lifts must be instructed in the work tasks assigned and fully informed of the relevant requirements of lift safety, occupational safety and electrical safety.
The occupational safety requirements, laid down in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, apply to lift work and the installation work of new lifts. The Occupational Safety and Health Act and the associated secondary legislation contain provisions on mechanical, chemical and electrical risks and hazards, and the application of personal protective equipment, work machines, tools and equipment, for example.
The electrical safety requirements, laid down in the Electrical Safety Act, apply to lift work and the installation work of new lifts. Lift work, the same as all work with a risk of an electric shock or a light arc, should be in compliance with the standard SFS 6002 Safety at Electrical Work. The electrical safety monitoring of the work should be organised in accordance with appendix X of the said standard.
Each job site should have an appointed electrical safety supervisor for the duration of the work who personally supervises the electrical safety of the work or performs all tasks (the Government Decree on Electrical Work and Operational Work of Electrical Installations 1435/2016, 1 appendix 2 §).
Securing safety in lift work
All employees carrying out lift work must discharge their work duties with due care and ensure that the performance of work does not endanger employees or other people affected by the performance of work.
The safety of the lift must not deteriorate in any way because of lift work carried out. This is especially important in connection with alterations in which existing lifts are upgraded by installing new subsystems compliant with the current requirements.
Training
Electrical safety training in accordance with the standard SFS 6002 Safety at Electrical Work should be provided for all employees and supervisors who carry out lift work or install new lifts. Lift work safety training in accordance with the standard SFS 5880 Safety at Elevator Work should be provided at the same time. The training should be renewed such that the training takes place every 5 years at the maximum.
First aid skills need to be constantly maintained. Everyone involved in lift work and the installation of new lifts should be provided with first-aid training every 3 years at the maximum (SFS 6002, section X.10).
