Servicing or examination? You need to know the difference.

Two activities with different purposes

Preventive maintenance keeps the lift in working condition through tasks such as adjustment and replacement of worn parts. A thorough examination assesses safety and identifies defects through a competent person’s examination and report. HSE explains that one does not replace the other.

Source: HSE lift owner leaflet ↗.

What should a maintenance visit cover?

The engineer follows a programme suited to the lift. Work may include checking condition, making adjustments, dealing with wear and replacing parts where needed. The tasks vary between visits; a visit is not a promise that every part has been replaced or every possible fault ruled out.

Ask the contractor for the planned scope and a visit record showing:

• The correct lift reference, visit date and engineer or provider.
• What was checked or done, and anything that could not be completed.
• Faults found, restrictions on use and any urgent action.
• Work still needed, whether a quote is coming and who will follow up.

Save the record and give open actions an owner and date. If it only says “serviced”, ask for enough detail to understand the outcome. These are practical records to request, not a universal service specification.

Source: HSE maintenance guidance ↗.

Provider example: Forge Lifts’ sample maintenance job sheet ↗ uses fictional records to illustrate condition checks, outstanding items and suggested improvements. It is a useful example of the detail to request after a visit, not a report of thorough examination.

Need help deciding what review to commission? See lift surveys, maintenance audits and second opinions for the scope and questions to agree.

How often should servicing happen?

Agree a maintenance programme with a competent contractor using the manufacturer’s instructions, the lift’s condition and how it is used. Record the agreed visit schedule in writing. A busy building, recurring fault or change in use is a reason to discuss whether that programme remains suitable.

A universal promise such as “all lifts need the same number of visits” leaves out the circumstances of your equipment. Ask what work is planned during those visits and what evidence you will receive.

Source: HSE maintenance guidance ↗.

Who carries out the examination?

The competent person needs suitable knowledge and experience and sufficient independence and impartiality. HSE says this should not be the same person who carries out routine maintenance, because they would be assessing their own work.

When buying a package described as including “LOLER”, ask who actually conducts the examination, how impartiality is maintained, and whether the examination report comes directly to you.

Source: HSE competent person guidance ↗.

Is an insurance inspection the same thing?

People sometimes call a thorough examination an “insurance inspection” because an insurer or broker arranges it. Check what service was actually booked and ask for the full report. The label alone does not tell you.

Keep three things separate: the insurance policy, the maintenance agreement and the examination arrangements. One package may organise more than one, but paying for insurance does not prove that maintenance or an examination has happened.

Ask your insurer or broker: “Is an examination service included, who provides it, when is it booked, and what policy conditions do we need to follow?” Confirm the answer against the report and the provider’s booking. An examination does not automatically pay for repairs.

Source: HSE passenger lift guidance ↗.

A five-minute records check

1. Find the most recent service record and the most recent examination report.
2. Check the lift number on both documents.
3. Compare service dates with the agreed maintenance schedule.
4. Record the next examination date separately.
5. List outstanding repairs from both sets of records and assign an owner.