SINGAPORE : More stringent measures on the maintenance of lifts have been introduced for greater public safety.
In June last year, a lift at the Excelsior Hotel malfunctioned.
From the first floor, it shot 22 floors up the lift shaft with its door wide open, and stopped only when it reached the top floor of the hotel.
A Canadian businessman in the lift was injured in the freak incident.
Under changes announced on Tuesday, the Building and Construction Authority has made it compulsory for building owners to engage BCA-registered lift contractors which are eligible to bid for projects worth half a million dollars, to maintain the lifts.
Previously, those eligible for projects worth S$100,000, could also be employed.
A professional engineer with at least five years' experience in lift maintenance must also be present to ensure the proper testing and servicing of lifts.
Speaking on the changes, BCA Commissioner Ding Hock Hui said, "This is an improvement over what we have over these years. We have been monitoring the lift failures and it is in fact very low, but I don't think we will wait for a major accident to occur before we do some changes."
To help the industry ease into the new measures, there will be a grace period of three years so that lift contractors can upgrade their technical skills.
Lifts in Singapore are subject to monthly, yearly and five-yearly maintenance.
Meanwhile, it was also announced on Tuesday that mixed-use developments such as a shopping centre cum residential apartment, as well as low and high-rise buildings, will now have a two-tier Management Corporation or MCs.
This is ensure such developments can maintain certain properties separately.
Mr Ding said, "The changes actually came about because of much feedback from the people in the industry, as well as residential owners who are being asked to pay for maintenance of facilities that they don't make use of. So this will facilitate these arguments with regards to apportionment of maintenance."
The changes will only apply to new developments from April 1 when the new Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act comes into effect.
This could be extended to existing developments after the system has been tried and tested. - CNA