Preliminary Report of June 2015 Survey of the State of Durban's Residential Lifts-Elevators

Abstract

Is there any remedy for making lifts (elevators) functional after these are shut down for health and safety reasons in South Africa? Shifting the blame to tenants vandalising the lifts as the main reason for lifts breaking down seems to be the stock response of some owners. There are other compelling reasons that include high jacking of buildings (so called squatters); the dysfunctional bodies corporate of sectional titles (condominiums) and share block schemes, which have no funds (levies) for the up keep and repairs of lifts.What is crucial is the fact the tenants, occupiers and owners are seriously prejudiced by non functioning lifts. This is more critical when lift users are the elderly, frail and persons with disabilities. This lift survey, the third in 8 years, looked at buildings in Durban and whether there was a substantial improvement overall. What changes in law, if any, were introduced to ensure lifts are functional or operational after an owner is served with a notice shutting down the lift by the department of labour (DoL) responsible for overseeing its safety? Who is responsible for ensuring that the lifts that was stopped by the DoL becomes functional?