An Authorised Conformity Assessment Body (ACAB) carries out thorough examinations and preventive inspections on existing and new lifts, as specified by the Inspection of Lifts Regulations of 2007.

A list of ACABs is available on the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority’s website www. mccaa.org.mt.

A thorough inspection is a systematic and detailed examination of the lift by an ACAB with the aim of improving its safety as far as is reasonably practicable, taking into account the principles in the regulations and current safety practice.

The thorough examination of existing lifts put into service, as shown in the first column of the above table, was meant to have been carried out on the date shown in the second column.

All new lifts, when put into service in accordance with the Lifts Regulations of 2002 as amended, shall for the purpose of the Inspection of Lifts Regulations of 2007 be deemed to have undergone a first thorough examination.

The responsible person shall ensure that following the initial thorough examination of the lift:

(a) subsequent thorough examinations are carried out within a period of six months from the expiry of the date due for the next thorough examination, as stated in the previous thorough examination report;

(b) the period between subsequent thorough examinations cannot exceed six years for existing and new lifts installed at a workplace;

(c) the period between subsequent thorough examinations cannot exceed 10 years for all other existing and new lifts not installed at a workplace;

(d) the lift undergoes preventive inspections by an ACAB at suitable intervals between subsequent thorough examinations;

(e) a thorough examination shall also be carried out each time that an accident, an important modification or exceptional circumstances, which are liable to jeopardise the safety of the lift, have occurred.

A preventive inspection is inten­ded to check the proper functioning of the safety features of the lift and detect any defects that develop during the use or misuse of the lift.

All lifts installed at a workplace have to undergo a preventive inspection once every six months, following the first date of their putting into service. All other lifts have to be periodically inspected every 12 months.

This information has been provided by the Regulatory Affairs Directorate, Technical Regulations Division, Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority.