KUALA LUMPUR: Accidents involving lifts and escalators are the result of substandard maintenance, wrongful use, vandalism and the failure to appreciate that these structures can present a high risk of injury if wrongly used.
Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar this was revealed in investigations of 52 incidents involving lifts and 33 involving escalators that were reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Department from 2012 to last month.
He added that six of the incidents had resulted in death, six in permanent physical disability and 58 in sustained injuries without permanent disability.
Speaking at the launch of the National Lift and Escalator Safety Campaign 2018 in Kepong, here, today he said these cases highlighted the need for the ministry to enforce laws and regulations that governed the upkeep of lifts and escalators.
He said it was vital to remind the authorities and building operators to ensure that lift maintenance was completed during specified time frames and up to industry standards.
“Lifts will be required to have certificate of fitness or 15 months before a reinspection authorised by statute is to be performed again to ensure they are safe to be used by the public.”
The dos and don’ts of lift and escalator safety were explained at great length to the audience and residents of PPR Intan Baiduri where the event was held.
Mahfuz said the campaign would sensitise Malaysians to the risks involved in using lifts and escalators.
Statistics compiled by the ministry show that there are 65,093 lifts and 12,923 escalator in the country.
However, only 371 individuals are accredited as competent in lift repair work and maintenance as stipulated in the Factories and Machinery Act 1967.