INGENIEUR
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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 ).