Winter Lift Maintenance

Winter Lift Maintenance

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Winter Lift Maintenance

Lifts are the workhorse in transporting people and goods within your organisation and in winter they  can be affected by the changes in the weather. There are a few components and extra measures to take for your lift to limit disruption during the winter all taken care of with Ascendant Lifts traditional lift maintenance giving your winter lift maintenance an extra little boost.

Sills
As people are walking in from the outside, it is likely that snow and grit will travel in with them. When they use the lifts, the snow will melt and the grit will be left behind which can clog up the sills and prevent the door from opening and closing making the lift unable to travel from floor to floor. Removing any grit and water will make sure that does not happen.

Lubrication                                                                                                                                                                                         The cold dry air can affect the lubrication on the guide rails of the lift, affecting the efficiency of your lift(s) and their overall performance. Lubrication will reduce the friction between the guide rails and the lift during operation. Another way of reducing friction is keeping the hydraulics between 29°C – 35°C, which is their ideal temperature.

Consistent Temperatures
If there is a drastic change in temperature from inside the lift to the shaft then condensation can build up. This moisture can then find its way to electrical components and cause component failure and the shutting down of the lift, resulting in disruption within your organisation.

Climate Control
An alternative to having a climate-controlled lift car is to park it on a floor which has climate control when the lift is not in use. If the building is located in a cold area make sure there is enough insulation in the machine room, especially for the hoist way and tank, and that all the insulation is intact.

In case of a power cut during the harsh weather, your lift’s batteries should be fully charged so that people can still move around and nobody gets trapped in a lift, limiting disruption and costs.

Regular maintenance of your lifts can reduce future disruption within your organisation by covering all the bases to ensure the efficient smooth running of your lifts by remedying any issues before they become too costly and big.
Ascendant Lifts & Escalators Ltd can provide maintenance for your lifts with our in-house engineers who carry out their work with professionalism and to the high standards required by the industry.

illusion of Control

Illusion of Control

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Illusion of control: Why the world is full of buttons that don’t work

Have you ever pressed the pedestrian button at a crossing and wondered if it really worked? Or hit the “close door” button in an Lift, while suspecting that it may, in fact, have no effect whatsoever? You’re not alone, and you may be right. The world is full of buttons that don’t actually do anything. They’re sometimes called “placebo buttons” — buttons that are mechanically sound and can be pushed, but provide no functionality. Like placebo pills, however, these buttons may still serve a purpose, according to Ellen Langer, a Harvard psychologist who pioneered a concept known as the “illusion of control.” “They do have a psychological effect,” she said in a phone interview. “Taking some action leads people to feel a sense of control over a situation, and that feels good, rather than just being a passive bystander. “Doing something typically feels better than doing nothing

The button you find at traffic lights will only light up the ‘Wait’ signal but it is down to an algorithm to change the lights. When there are many cars it will choose the least congested time to change to amber then red, which is why you may find yourself waiting an eternity for them to change so you can cross.

With thermostats in an office the heat may be getting too much for you so you go and turn it down not realising that it is most likely a dummy thermostat. By turning it down it is believed to give you a placebo effect as you think you have had an impact on the temperature and begin to believe you are cooling down.

These things aren’t just limited to buttons however, many devices emit artificial noises to reassure the user that the device is operating as it should. An example of this is Skype, when a call goes silent a pre-recorded noise such as a car door slamming will be emitted to tell the users that the call is still active and hasn’t been dropped.

Unlike these other placebo buttons, the ‘Close Door’ you’ll possibly find in a lift is real and will close the doors quicker, in the UK anyway. In the USA they are false since they have a disability law that states the doors must be open for a certain amount of time before closing.

The buttons that are fake are designed to provide the feeling of control over the action you are preforming. It was found that control is a reassuring feeling over the course of your actions throughout the day and provides you with a sense of safety so these measures were implemented.

Ascendantl Lifts & Escalators Ltd provide lifts that meet all the relevant safety legislation and our in-house engineers conduct their work to the high standards of the industry with professionalism. No matter the lift you have we will ensure it is safe for all and all the buttons will work.

Ending intiers

Ending in Tiers

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As the month-long lockdown ends in England counties are once again put back into corresponding Tiers, based off of total number of Covid-19 cases in an area, the number of cases in the over-60s, the rate at which cases are rising or falling, the proportion of test results coming back positive and the pressure on the NHS to combat the spread of Covid-19 and going back to everything ending in tiers.

The measures against non-essential businesses are eased to allow for businesses such as hairdressers, gyms, nail bars and shops to reopen for the Christmas period. Sporting events in Tiers 1 and 2 can go ahead with spectators of 4,000 or 50% capacity, whichever is smaller, in Tier 1 and 2,000 or 50% capacity, whichever is smaller, in Tier 2. The hospitality industry is still affected by restrictions, affecting opening times and the serving of alcohol.

Hopefully the end to lockdowns and everything ending in tiers will go. With a vaccine passing trials and ready to be distributed to the vulnerable it may only be a few more months of restrictions to tackle the spread of the virus until we can enjoy a pint and see our mates and loved ones as we used to.

These eases in restrictions are no doubt a step forward for the local and national economies as well as helping with loneliness at the most giving time of the year as three households will be able to meet indoors between the 23rd and 27th of December. However, these leniencies must be respected because if Covid-19 cases increase then we will likely be put in another lockdown and halt the progress made by businesses over the Christmas period as well as extending the time spent under restrictions.

Here at Asendant Lifts & Escalators Ltd we are more than happy to support you and your organisation with any lifting requirements you may have. We aim to see you and your organisation rebuild and repair for the bright future ahead with our lifts or lifting services providing you with a reliable and efficient service within your organisation.

Major Modernisation

Major Modernisation

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Just this week we have handed over a major modernisation to a Hydraulic passenger lift for a Residential Care Home in Cumbria which is looking fantastic and functioning without a squeak much to the delight of the staff and residents causing minimum disruption to the every day life of the residents.

With regular servicing a lift can last many years. However, once a lift becomes a certain age replacement parts are rare to find and expensive to purchase. That is why a lift modernisation would be more cost effective for you in the long run as well as being cheaper and less time consuming than installing a new lift. With a lift modernisation the reliability of your lift is increased, therefore your organisation can move freely and unrestricted for longer. Your modernised lift will also reduce the costs of maintenance and look more appealing to those who use it.

None of these can happen with out working closely with our fantastic supply Partners Shorts Lifts, supplying the parts first time on time and offering a wealth of technical knowledge and unprecedented support on jobs large and small anywhere in the Country

Nationwide Lifts & Escalators Ltd offer complete lift modernisation packages including:

The turn key solution includes builders-work and electrical work as part of our package. Our intent is to get your lift fully modernised with a new interior and all components within 2 weeks.

Since we only supply and fit open protocol parts we not only give you flexibility on your lift but peace of mind as well.

Some reasons for a lift modernisation are:

  • Current lift does not comply with new regulations.
  • Current lift shows signs of wear and tear.
  • Drains power or is sluggish.
  • Experiencing frequent issues resulting in call outs

 

THOROUGH EXAMINATIONS

Thorough examination

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Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations consist of regulations to ensure the safe use of lifting equipment in the workplace. LOLER also commonly known as thorough examination covers a wide range of equipment including lifts, hoists and mobile elevating work platforms. This also includes lifting accessories such as chains, slings, eye bolts etc.  However, escalators, moving walkways and simple pallet trucks that lift their load only a few inches do not apply under LOLER.

Nationwide Lifts & Escalators Ltd can perform LOLER inspections or commonly knows as  thorough examination for clients throughout the UK.

LOLER inspections should be performed on lifting equipment:

  • Before it is first used
  • Immediately after the repair or replacement of an essential component
  • Whenever it is removed and re-fitted to the original chassis
  • Within 12 months of its last examination

Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations place duties on people and companies who own, operate or have control over lifting equipment. If the lift equipment is used for work then the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) will also apply. As qualified personnel our engineers will be able to plan, appropriately supervise and carry out the operation in a safe manner. LOLER examinations are also mandatory and must be conducted thoroughly in order to determine whether the lift is suitable for operation and assess the significance of any defects.

LOLER also requires that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitably marked and, in many cases, subject to statutory periodic thorough examination. Records must be kept of all thorough examinations and any defects found must be reported to both the person responsible for the equipment and the relevant enforcing authority.

If you are responsible for a lift then you are a duty holder. Roles of the duty holder include:

  • Maintaining the lift so it is safe to use
  • Selecting and instructing the competent persons
  • Ensuring the lift is examined at statutory intervals
  • Keeping the competent person informed of any changes in the lift operations
  • Making all relevant documentation available
  • Acting promptly to remedy any defects
  • Ensuring that all documentation complies with the regulations
  • Accurate record keeping

 

Any business or organisation whose employees operate lifting equipment on the job are required to comply to these regulations, which come under the Health and Safety at Work Act.

LOLER, Competent Persons and Duty Holders explained.

As COMPETENT PERSONS we are able to carry out THOROUGH EXAMINATIONS on your lifts. We have included below some information which we hope will be of assistance if you are a lift owner or the person responsible for the safe operation of a lift used at work, for example a facilities manager or supervisor.

The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), which came into force on 5th December 1998, were made under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (HSW Act). LOLER implements the lifting provisions of the Amending Directive to the Use of Work Equipment Directive (AUWED) (951631EC).

LOLER consolidated the requirements for the safe Provision and use of lifting equipment. Regulation 9 of LOLER requires that all lifts provided for use in work activities be thoroughly examined by a COMPETENT PERSON at regular intervals.

This applies to lifts and hoists used to lift people or loads.

 

Challenge

Challenge

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So last night I woke up at 3am and couldn’t get back to sleep so I picked my phone up to check Facebook and stumbled across a video of Pure inspiration that man was Cliff Devries a man who beat all the odds, go check him out, over came a massive challenge and didn’t let anything stop him

Challenge is something a lot of us face every single day some are unknown to people but its something as a lift company we have to think about every day, a lift is a lot more than the shiny Silver box that sits in the corner,

When it doesn’t work its a young family that are late for school or an appointment because they have to get a buggy down 5 flights of stairs, it’s an 80 year old lady who has to walk up 8 flights of steps to get back to her flat, it’s the disabled person who is now stuck in there flat, the elderly man who hasn’t spoken to anyone in a week missing his weekly trip to a social club, a Care home struggling as they can’t get food out in there service lift.

We hear so many stories and it makes it personal to us, that’s why we respond quickly to any callouts that’s why we are upfront and honest about the lifts and what it needs, that’s why people stick with us it’s not just a Silver box in the corner it’s a life line, a way of life having or not having a lift impacts on people’s life’s In a big way, that’s what inspires us everyday to leave no stone unturned to get that lift back in service and well maintained to the highest standard a challenge to overcome

Nationwide Lifts & Escalators work with a wide range of clients on both Commercial Lifts and Residential Lift, offering Lift servicing, lift repairs and full modernisations across the whole of the UK Including an unrivalled selection of New lift products across the world top brands.

At Nationwide Lifts and Escalators traditional Lift servicing is at the heart of what we do. During a traditional maintenance visit, rest assured our experienced service engineers carry out a full inspection, test and comprehensive service, and make any appropriate adjustments to ensure optimum performance saving you money in the long run. Our Tailor-made services have been designed to keep your lift operating smoothly and efficiently for years to come.

97% of our lifts are fixed on the first repair call it’s our first fix policy to ensure we locate the cause of the breakdown and repair it first time, with no repeat visits for the same fault. Through our dedicated customer care, we pride ourselves as your partner throughout the entire lifespan of your lift equipment, with offices across the UK in key locations we can provide a fully comprehensive package to all our clients.

We have dedicated Key Account Managers, who pride themselves on excellent customer service , full knowledge of your account and lift, this in turn leads to retaining a loyal customer database, due to a familiar voice with a wealth of Knowledge. At Nationwide Lifts and Escalators Communication is key to everything we do; our Customer promise makes Nationwide Lifts & Escalators a unique company in the marketplace.

Our Head office can be found in The North East (Sunderland), with further offices in The Midlands Yorkshire and London

 

Nationwide Lifts expand into Yorkshire

Nationwide Lifts expand into Yorkshire

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Nationwide Lifts expand into Yorkshire furthering ambitious growth plans for the next 12 months and beyond

Nationwide Lift offering the next Generation of Customer Service

11th November 2020 Nationwide Lifts officially throw their doors open in the Yorkshire Region Kenneth Chappell MD “We have some very ambitious growth plans and Sheffield is the ideal bright vibrant City that we have been looking for”

Nationwide Lifts are more than just another lift company our Communication and service level commitment sets us apart and this new expansion into Yorkshire offers new and existing customers that next level of Customer care.

Kenneth Chappell MD “ With our ambitious growth plans we are looking to open further office across the country in the next 18 months with locations already  in Sunderland , The Midlands  and London , Yorkshire is a key growth area for us and is a big part of our plans and gives us a base to expand across the North west and Yorkshire area”

At Nationwide Lifts & Escalators Ltd. we do not just see ourselves as the normal run of the mill lift contractor. Through our dedicated customer care, we see ourselves as your partner throughout the entire life span of your lift equipment.

We offer the complete range of passenger lifts, goods lifts, platform lifts and access products nationwide. We pride ourselves on supplying high quality solutions that are fully open protocol, giving our clients both peace of mind and flexibility in the future. Our range of lift products are fully bespoke, and we can offer any size, load, or interior / doors you require.

We also offer the full turnkey package for our clients for existing sites and new buildings. We offer the complete lift removal service, associated builders-work and electrical work, as well as the lift replacement. This allows us to be involved from early design phase right through to handover on site. By having one contractor on site, this cuts down on interfacing with other trades, improves communication and ultimately the level of service.

As Nationwide Lifts expand into Yorkshire we would be keen to speak with any companies with Lifts on there portfolio

Passenger and Platform Lifts

Valued customers

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If i have learnt anything over the last 12 months its to be you own cheerleader and celebrate any win, its been a tough 2020 especially as we go into lockdown 2.0. Its even sweeter when praise comes in from one of your most Valued customers.

Sam said “We are a really good company, customer service was excellent, she commented we get the engineers out quick and the work is good. She said she has had problems with lift companies in the past and any new job are always passed to Nationwide”.

At Nationwide Lifts & Escalators our customer service is real passion for us and what stands us apart from other lift companies, there is no calls missed no matter the time and we work tightly as a team and nobody goes home until every email is answered it sounds  very cliché but I’m going to say it we care. For every lift that is broken down its not just a machine, its a young family with a buggy that cant get down stairs or a pensioner who has to walk up 5 flights of stairs, or a service lift that has real impact on a Business and staff, we see things differently and that’s why we get the praise we do and retain a large portfolio of valued customers.

Through our dedicated customer care, we pride ourselves as your partner throughout the entire lifespan of your lift equipment, with offices across the UK in key locations we can provide a fully comprehensive package to all our clients. We have dedicated Key Account Managers, who pride themselves on excellent customer service, full knowledge of your account and lift, this in turn leads to retaining a loyal customer database, due to a familiar voice with a wealth of Knowledge.

We are forward thinking  Lift company  with  traditional Lift servicing at the heart of what we do. During a traditional maintenance visit, rest assured our experienced service engineers carry out a full inspection, test and comprehensive service, and make any appropriate adjustments to ensure optimum performance saving you money in the long run.

At Nationwide Lifts and Escalators Communication is key to everything we do; our Customer promise makes Nationwide Lifts & Escalators a unique company in the marketplace.

 

 

Veterans in Crisis

Veterans in Crisis Sunderland

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A group of veterans volunteering for the multi-award-winning organisation Veterans in Crisis Sunderland (VICS), which helps armed forces veterans in Sunderland, have raised more than £2,000 to launch a crowdfunding campaign for the Sunderland organisation. Fourteen volunteers – in socially distanced groups of six – cycled from Sunderland to Hartlepool.

They were met by the Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor David Snowdon, who has a holiday caravan in the town.

‘The people of Sunderland are incredibly generous, and they look after each other,’ said VICS founder and CEO Ger Fowler. ‘Thanks to them, we have enough furniture and white goods – even toys – to furnish whole houses for veterans and their families in need. The trouble is, we don’t have a van big enough to transport it all.’

VICS is seeing an ever-increasing demand for the services they provide to veterans in need of support. The support provided is crucial in stabilising veterans lives and getting them and their families back on track.

The ultimate goal of the charity is to create jobs for veterans. In order to achieve this, members of VICS are constantly counselling veterans, rehousing these veterans and their families is one step further to recovery. The next step is to then turn that house into a home using the donations to decorate.

By donating you are not only assisting in the purchase of a van, you are also laying the ground work for a veteran and their family to progress their way on to a new life by providing the means to decorate a house. You will also be aiding in the development of jobs for veterans and volunteering opportunities in the future.

VICS is launching a crowdfunding campaign with the help of Crowdfund Sunderland, which is backed by the Council and the health service in the city.

Using the hashtag #VanForVICS, Ger and his team are hoping to raise £11,000. For more information and to donate, go to www.spacehive.com/a-van-for-vics

Here at Nationwide Lifts & Escalators Ltd we are proud to support Veterans in Crisis Sunderland (VICS). It is an honour to have such an incredible charity doing tremendous work so close to home.

Background information

Veterans in Crisis is a Community Interest Company.[1] It was established in 2018 by Ger Fowler, a veteran of the First Battalion, Light Infantry. His experiences in Northern Ireland left him with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic back pain and depression. He became addicted to the drugs he was prescribed to help the pain.

‘A key driver of my recovery was a passion to help other veterans in my home city. I founded Veterans in Crisis (Sunderland) in January 2018 so that I could help veterans who suffer like I did.  My mission is simple: to help veterans to help veterans. I know how veterans feel and what they are going through, because I have been there myself.’

The veterans VIC supports must be from Sunderland. They may be homeless, unemployed, addicted to drugs or alcohol or have mental health needs; VIC’s role is to help them to stabilise their lives and we work with them to build a new future.

VICS has more than 300 members and is growing rapidly.

VICS has won four awards during this year:

  • Health Service Journal Military and Civilian Health Partnership Award
  • Sunderland Echo Special Community Award
  • Newcastle Evening Chronicle Armed Forces Champion Award
  • Springboard North East Supporting Partner of The Year
  • VCAS Open Arms Awards 2020: Influence and Collaboration Award (for Ger Fowler), Community Places and Spaces Award (for our headquarters, the ERV), Partnership Award and, for Gloria Middleton, Volunteer of the Year award

 

Contacts:

  • To speak to Ger Fowler, call 07850263421
  • For more information about the campaign, call John Sargent on 07974 070 471

[1] A community interest company is a business with primary social objectives whose surpluses are principally reinvested for that purpose in the business or in the community, rather than being driven by the need to maximise profit for shareholders and owners.

 

 

A taste of life in Work

A taste of life in Work

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At Nationwide Lifts & Escalators  we feel it is vital now more than ever to get relevant work experience  the climate for jobs is ever changing and being ahead of the game with some industry knowledge behind you and a taste of life in work is vital to progression in a very competitive marketplace.

This week we opened the door  to some fresh young talent in Niall who has joined us on a Industry placement from Sunderland College, its the first time we have taken on a student placement and what a breath of fresh air in the office, we are learning as much from him as hopefully he is learning from us, its been a week of going over our marketing strategies and sharpening up the look of our Socials and more.

Lets get to know him a little better.

What made you choose the course you are currently doing?

I chose Business Studies because of my interest in the subject generated in school where I was first introduced to the aspects of life in a business. During that time, I learned the importance of all the departments involved in the running of a business and how universal the skills that you learn can be. It was because of this that made me want to further my knowledge in the subject and pursue the subject at College.

How important do you think it is to get out and get work experience?

I think work experience is vital in preparation for starting working life. It enables you to enhance and learn new skills as well as make contacts in different industries. Taking part in work experience also gives you the opportunity to explore different options in order to get a clearer vision on where it is you want to go next and know the steps you need to take to get there and to get a taste of life in work.

How has Covid-19 affected your College Life?

With the current measures in place we must wear masks whilst in the corridors and sanitise our hands when we pass the stations around College. The biggest changes are having lessons cut short by about 10 minutes so that lecturers can sanitise desks, laptops and computers as well as adapting to remote learning. It is also prohibited to mix with other students from other classes to eliminate the chances of passing Covid-19 between classes. All these measures are in place to continue regular learning and reduce absences or quarantines of classes.

What are you hoping to get out of the placement?

I am hoping to expand my knowledge of marketing and develop my skills related to that area. I also hope that during my placement it will prepare me for what I choose to do after College. I am confident that my time at Nationwide Lifts will provide me with valuable experience that I will be able to carry with me onto my next step.

What are you looking to do after College?

I am still considering where to go and what to do once I leave College whether that is further education or entering the workplace. However, I am sure by completing my work placement it will help me come to a decision.

 

Nationwide Lifts & Escalators  specialise  in all types of Lift Maintenance, Lift Repairs, Lift Upgrades, Lift Modernisation and New Lifts throughout the UK. With offices located across the United Kingdom, we are able to provide a fully comprehensive package to all our clients.