On 1 April 2022, Regulations of the Cabinet of Ministers No. 679 of 17 November 2020 “Regulations on Safety and Technical Supervision of Lifts and Vertical Platform Lifts” entered into force.
These Regulations substantially change the technical supervision of the lifts in use, in particular those which were installed before 1 September 2000, and the possessors of the lifts must consider the higher safety requirements that will be set for lifts.
It is important to remember that a lift is dangerous equipment – it can endanger human life and health due to inappropriate use and maintenance. Lifts meeting the requirements of Regulations No. 679 will be more secure and enjoyable to their users. According to the information at the disposal of the Consumer Rights Protection Centre (hereinafter referred to as CRPC), nearly half of the lifts in use in Latvia have already exceeded their service life specified by the lift manufacturer, so the matter of upgrading or replacement of the lift is becoming more and more pressing. CRPC urges apartment owners to plan timely risk mitigation measures and costs for lifts.
Regulations No. 679 apply to:
- the lifts installed and placed on the market before 1 September 2000,
- the lifts installed after 1 September 2000 and having the CE conformity mark,
- vertical platform lifts.
In most cases, lifts are the joint property of apartment owners, and apartment owners can influence who maintains and repairs their lifts. In the event that the owners of a residential building are not satisfied with the way in which their lift is maintained, apartment owners shall have the right to take a joint decision and choose some other holder of their lifts.
After the entry into force of Regulations No. 679, the lifts will have to be subjected to a safety evaluation, which includes an evaluation report prepared by the inspection body, a risk prevention/reduction plan developed by the lift possessor and the registration of the plan in the Register of Dangerous Equipment. However, risk prevention/mitigation measures will have to be started after the information from the Register of Dangerous Equipment is updated and should be completed no later than by the deadline set for the respective type and risk category of lifts:
- for type I lifts: for high risk measures must be completed by 1 April 2028, for average risk – by 1 April 2033, for low risk – by 1 April 2038;
- for type II lifts: for high risk – by 1 April 2029, for average risk – by 1 April 2034, for low risk – by 1 April 2039;
- for type III lifts: for high risk – by 1 April 2030, for average risk – by 1 April 2035, for low risk – by 1 April 2040.
CRPC urges the possessors and apartment owners not to delay safety evaluations and risk assessments, particularly in the case of lifts installed in multi-apartment buildings, in order to allow a timely decision on the risk prevention/mitigation measures to be taken or, considering the obsolesce of the lift, on the replacement of the lift.