THE free-falling lift incident at the Kampung Kerinchi People’s Housing Project (PPR) here has forensic investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH) scratching their heads.
DOSH director-general Omar Mat Piah said he was perplexed as early investigations by his team found the lift in good condition.
“It looked good and did not seem to have been vandalised, unlike lifts at other public housing flats.
“It is maintained well and is inspected according to schedule by lift technicians approved by the department,” he told the New Sunday Times yesterday.
He said the lift had been maintained by a contractor appointed by the building owner, which was Kuala Lumpur City Hall.
“This is done every week or every month, depending on the building’s requirements.
“On top of this, the unit also undergoes full technical inspections every three months by the same company,” he said, adding that the requirements were specified in the clauses under passenger lift regulations under the Factories and Machinery Act 1967.
“DOSH conducts a full inspection of the unit, as required by law, every 15 months. We inspected it last year and the next one is scheduled for 2020.”
He said records from the inspection showed that the lift was in fine condition.
“There is a checklist that we need to approve to certify that the lift is fit for use.”
Omar said his investigating team would conduct a thorough probe to find out why the incident occurred.
“We will send a full report to the authorities so that repair work can be carried out immediately. Hopefully, the lift will be fully operational soon.”
He said the lift had stopped abruptly about 2m from the bottom of the shaft and did not crash as previously claimed.
“If it had crashed, the wire or cables for the lift would have snapped, but that was not the case, according to our team.”
In the 2.30pm incident on Friday, the passenger elevator at Block C of the Kampung Kerinchi PPR here with eight residents on board plunged from the fifth to the ground floor.
The 15m free-fall was initially reported to have been caused by a malfunction in the elevator car’s braking system.
No casualties were reported. Victims received medical attention at Universiti Malaya Medical Centre.
Earlier, DOSH said the building owner, City Hall, could be charged if it was found to be negligent in ensuring the elevator was maintained.
“DOSH views seriously any accidents, especially if it involves workers, the general public or public property.
“The owner and the firm in question can be charged if we find them to have failed in ensuring that the elevator is (maintained) in good condition, to the extent that it caused this accident.”
Social activist Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye said local authorities must allocate a sufficient budget to maintain and replace facilities, including lifts, at public housing flats under their jurisdiction.
“While waiting for the investigation report, local authorities, including City Hall, must take measures and not compromise on the safety of lifts in public housing flats.
“They must replace old and expired lifts and allocate sufficient funds for the maintenance and replacement of such facilities.”
He said the incident should serve as a lesson to local authorities and urged companies responsible for the construction and maintenance of lifts to conduct proper and regular maintenance of facilities at flats.
He said this while drawing on statistics shared by Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Mahfuz Omar in October last year on accidents involving lifts and escalators in the country.
Mahfuz had said 52 incidents involving lifts and 33 involving escalators were reported to DOSH from 2012 to September last year.
Six of the incidents resulted in death, six in permanent disability and 58 in injuries without permanent disability. Most cases were due to substandard maintenance, wrongful use and vandalism.
It was reported more than 60,000 elevators were registered with DOSH nationwide.
“Elevator maintenance contractors may have their licences cancelled or suspended if they fail to perform their duties,” Lee said.
He said the Occupational Safety and Health Act 1994 stated that it was the responsibility of the owner or management of a building to ensure facilities such as elevators and escalators were safe for use.
The act also outlined the obligation of designers, manufacturers, suppliers and firms to ensure their equipment was safe to use.
Facilities are also subject to rules under the Fire Services Act 1988; Roads, Drainage and Buildings Act 1974; Electricity Supply Act 1990; and, Building and Property (Maintenance and Management) Act 2007.