INGENIEUR
INGENIEUR
Firm approved by DOSH Headquarters. The firm needs to have Competent Persons of Grades 1, 2 & 3 whereby they have specific duties to perform in accordance with their competency level. Competent Persons and Approved Firms can only be approved after going through a verifying and certifying process and strict control from DOSH to ensure quality and the installation of lifts and / or escalators meets the requirements of the established codes and regulations. For operating purposes, an Approved Firm shall be appointed by the owner to maintain the lift and / or escalator. A maintenance agreement shall be agreed upon by both parties and shall be valid for a minimum of one year. In addition, it is also necessary to ensure that the lifts and / or escalators are inspected and maintained by an Approved Firm in accordance with the time interval set by the regulations. For example, they must be serviced and adjusted once a month, and thoroughly examined at least once in every three months. Failure to ensure that lifts and / or escalators are maintained in accordance with the requirements as stipulated by the regulation could compromise the safety of the people using it. Currently there are about 60,000 lifts and 12,000 escalators installed throughout the country. Out of those, about 44,300 units,( 61.5 %) of the lifts and escalators are located in Klang Valley area.
The owners of lifts and escalators have an important duty to ensure that such
30 VOL 71 JULY- SEPTEMBER 2017 machineries are properly maintained as stipulated in Regulation 31 of the said regulation by an Approved Firm. Although the machineries may have been maintained and periodically inspected by an Approved Firm, it does not relieve the owner from the responsibility of maintaining the lifts and escalators in good order as a whole throughout their operation.
In recent years, there have been a number of issues regarding the safety of lifts and escalators in public places. There are many factors contributing to these incidences including vandalism, improper operation, lack of maintenance, misuse, etc. However, when compared with the number of lifts and escalator installed in Malaysia, these incidences are considered to be under control. In fact, DOSH has been carrying out studies to further control and improve the condition and operation of lifts and escalators in order to prevent these incidences from recurring. For instance, the lift car door locking device( CLD) has been made compulsory to prevent any person( especially children) from opening the lift car door when it is not moving thus, preventing him or her from falling down into the lift pit during a breakdown or other unplanned problems. In 2011, the installation of skirt deflectors or skirt brushes and yellow demarcation lines on escalator steps has been made compulsory to prevent travellers’ feet being trapped between the skirt and step, especially those of children. DOSH is also in the midst of revising the legal framework for the safety of lifts and escalators to cope with current developments in technology and changes in operating environments. Basically there are no specific laws or regulations on public safety at shopping malls( because public safety is not under DOSH purview per se). However when it comes to lifts and escalators, operations and maintenance of these are covered by the Factories and Machinery( Electric Passenger and Goods Lift) regulations, 1970.
Escalators are the most common equipment used as a mode of transport in public areas, such as shopping malls, public transport hubs etc. Those using escalators should know the safety features attached to them and how to activate them in a case of emergency. Each feature has its own function to safeguard the safety of users. Diagram 1 shows the main components and some of the safety switches on an escalator. Safety features that are required for escalators include:
1. Handrail Guard Safety
Device, 2. Comb-plate Switch, 3. Skirt Guard Safety
Device, 4. Step Broken Chain
Safety Device,
5. Emergency Stop Button at the Top and Bottom Landings,
6. Clear Yellow Coloured Demarcation lines, 7. Anti-Climbing Device, 8. Railings, 9. Anti-Slide Device, 10. Deflector Brush or Rubber Lining, and 11. Triangular Guards( where applicable).