Inspectis North West Ltd

28/08/2025

Besides deformation, splintering and kinking, load rope internal corrosion is one of the many other forms of load rope discard criteria laid down by the manufacturers of lift load ropes.
The photos below from a recent lift inspection show an old indirect acting hydraulic lift operating in conjunction with two load ropes.
Both of these ropes have internal corrosion in various sections which can significantly reduce the strength of the load rope.
The strength of a load rope comes from within its core so any loss of internal material can lead to a serious reduction in its weight bearing capabilities and eventually lead to a catastrophic rope failure. Initially there is a slight increase to the diameter of a corroding load rope as corrosion causes expansion.
As the corroded steel particles depart the rope the diameter will then start to reduce which can be quite obvious to the trained eye.
Unless you have regular quality lift inspections you will not know as to what is happening beyond the confines of your lift car.
Contact us to arrange for a free no obligation inspection quote.

10/02/2025

For a large job you often require a large crane.
Here at the Shotton Paper Mill in Deeside, Kone Cranes have installed two overhead travelling cranes with this one pictured capable of lifting up to 72.5t.

The paper mill is currently being redeveloped which will create 660 new jobs as part of a £600 million investment in the local area.

The transformed state-of-the-art facility will produce up to 750,000 tonnes of cardboard each year and will also have the capacity to recycle all wastepaper generated in Wales.

Shotton Paper Mill opened in 1983 and now plays a key role in the UK’s recycling infrastructure. Recycled paper and other recyclable materials, including household glass and plastics collected across the UK, are brought to site for reprocessing.

Margiz Sp. z o.o (German - Polish engineering company) were awarded the contract to remove & dismantle the old production lines and install the new paper mill machinery.
Inspectis North West Ltd are working closely with Margiz Sp. Z o.o to provide LOLER inspections on their lifting equipment to keep them in compliance whilst on the Deeside site.

About Us Inspectis North West Ltd is an engineering inspection company offering engineering inspection services in accordance with the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER 1998). Our lead engineering surveyor has over 30 years experience within the lifting & handling indu...

30/12/2024

The item pictured below is called a MEWP tilt sensor warning device.
There are a few different types of these warning devices out there but this particular one pictured is quite common to boom and scissor lift Mobile Elevating Work Platforms (MEWP's).
They are fitted to the chassis of the MEWP and their purpose is to detect when the MEWP reaches or exceeds its rated tilt angle which is usually about 3 degrees. Attempting to manoeuvre the machine beyond its safe operating limits could cause it to topple over.
The tilt sensor sends a signal to the operators control console which results in an audible alarm or a flashing light and sometimes both to let the MEWP operator know that the safe operating limits of the machine are about to be or have been compromised.
The tilt sensor warning alarm can also prevent the MEWP from being raised any further until the machine is back on firm level ground.
Tilt sensor warning alarms are checked for correct operation at every MEWP thorough examination.
If they fail the test then the MEWP is no longer legal to use until repairs have been carried out.
Contact us for a free no obligation inspection quote.

30/12/2024

If you own or operate this particular type of two post vehicle lift which is powered by hydraulics and load chains then hopefully you will appreciate the significance of the mechanism depicted in the left hand photo.
This is the safety gear which prevents the vehicle lift from falling in the event of a catastrophic chain or hydraulic failure.
It has to be checked for correct operation at every thorough examination.
If the safety gear fails to operate correctly then an immediate defect report will be issued and the vehicle lift will be illegal to use until the necessary repairs have been carried out.
Don't leave it to chance.
Contact us for a free & no obligation inspection quote.

06/06/2024

Until you actually get inside a lift shaft you will never know of what is lurking behind your daily lift rides.

By far it's all good by the way so no need to panic but even a well maintained lift will be subject to wear and tear just like any other mechanised transportation device.

However, on occasion we see things that require attention from your lift service company:

The photo here from inside a lift shaft reveals a stressed bracing / bridging steelworks plate between two hydraulic cylinders on an indirect acting hydraulic passenger lift.
The other hydraulic cylinder is to the left in this photo.
The conjoining steelworks serves to balance / compensate for any potential lead or lag within the hydraulic cylinders due to oil pressure differentials.
In essence, this bridging steelwork should ensure uniform ascent and descent of the lift car whilst travelling up and down.

Our only concern was that the horizontal plate to the left of the ram head was bent slightly downwards as seen in the photo.
This would indicate that the steelworks were not quite strong enough for controlling the even parity of the hydraulic cylinders.
We are now in dialogue with the owners of this lift to establish why this steelwork section has been stressed along with its welding.

Only thorough examinations by a competent person will reveal this and any other irregularities within your lifting equipment.
Don't leave it to chance.

Contact us for a free no obligation inspection quote.

Inspectis North West Ltd is an engineering company offering engineering inspection services.

01/04/2024

During a recent passenger lift LOLER 1998 inspection visit in a city centre apartment block we had to issue an immediate defect report on the steel suspension ropes which raise and lower the lift car.
Three of the six ropes were severely splintered with a 6% loss in their over all diameters.
This now meant that the only passenger lift in this particular six storey building was out of service pending the replacement of all six suspension ropes. No doubt this was a huge inconvenience for the residents in this building and especially for those living beyond the 2nd floor.
A maintenance schedule had only just recently been put in place for this lift but there was no record or evidence of any LOLER inspections.
An engineer surveyor never enjoys inconveniencing people when removing lifting equipment from service.
That said, we have a duty of care to protect all users of faulty or worn lifting equipment from death or serious injury.
Lifting equipment owners also have a duty of care to ensure that their kit is safe to use and fit for purpose.
It's simply not worth neglecting regular maintenance and independent inspections on lifting equipment in a futile bid to cut costs.
In the UK it is a legal requirement for all passenger lifts to be inspected every six months by a competent person.

Contact us for a free no obligation inspection quote.

11/01/2024

During a recent lift inspection for one of our new clients we came across water within the lift shaft pit area.
This troublesome scenario is certainly not rare in lift shafts and especially when given the amount of rainfall that we've had in recent weeks here in the UK.
That said this particular issue is a civil engineering conundrum as the drainage has come up well short in this relatively new building.
Sometimes internal plumbing leaks can also cause lift shaft pit area flooding.
Initially a float activated submersible pump should be employed to rid the pit area of all water.
Immediately afterwards an investigation should be carried out to enquire the cause of the water ingress.
The lift pictured here was taken out of service by electrically isolating it.
The water line was fast approaching the electrical wiring for the pit area critical safety components and the 415v trailing mains cable under the lift car was going for a dip in the water every time the lift was at the ground floor.
Only a regular inspection regime by a competent person can identify hidden problems like this.
Don't leave it to chance.

Contact us for free no obligation inspection quote.

23/11/2023

https://news.sky.com/video/share-13014331

Great crane operating skills and one extremely lucky reluctant basket passenger but none the less still alive..

Video posted on social media shows the blaze at what appears to be a construction site - with a worker trapped on the roof.

14/10/2023

It was great to be back working in the beautiful city of Liverpool once again.
City centres are absolutely jam packed with hotels and apartment blocks amongst many other different types of tall buildings.
All of these tall buildings have passenger / goods lifts which require LOLER 1998 examinations every six months.

Yesterday we were inspecting the electric / traction lifts at The Shankly & Dixie Dean hotels. The lifts at these hotels service between 6 - 8 floors and are constantly in use so trying to get one to carry out an inspection can be extremely challenging.
Fortunately by the end of that long working day we had managed to successfully carry out all of the lift inspections on both sites.

Our rates are considered to be extremely competitive at a time when most businesses are seeking to make savings whenever and wherever possible but without compromising quality.
If you own / manage a hotel or an apartment block then contact us for a free no obligation lift inspection quote.

15/08/2023

HSE Alert Bulletin:
BendPak XPR Series Two-Post Hydraulic Vehicle Lifts.

These particular vehicle lifts have a half-moon-shaped arm lock quadrant gear on each arm which is either welded or bolted.
On some of these vehicle lifts with the arm lock gear attached with bolts, the bolts do not meet the required strength standard increasing the risk of a major incident.

Outline of the problem:
Evidence from an investigation of a fatal incident revealed concerns with an aspect of the manufacture and supply of the BendPak XPR series two-post lifts.

The bolts should be 8.8 class bolts. If the lift’s arm lock quadrant gear is attached using bolts marked ‘4.8’ or unmarked bolts, then there is an increased risk of a major incident, including a vehicle falling from the lift.

BendPak XPR series lifts use a teeth-meshing mechanism to lock the arm gears.
Many of these lifts use a bolted connection to attach the arm lock gear (as depicted in the diagram below).
Arm lock quadrant gear ring and pinion gear assembly diagram.

BendPak require the use of a minimum class of 8.8 bolts tightened to an appropriate torque for the lift to meet the strength standards for two-post vehicle lifts set out in the British Standard; BS EN 1493. An understrength lift is at risk of not being able to support or withstand the forces it is subjected to and is at risk of collapse.

Action required:
Users of BendPak two-post lifts should:
Check the following:
Check the bolts. If the arm restraint gear has a bolted connection check if any 4.8 class, or unmarked, bolts are in use.
The class should be clearly stamped on the bolt head.
If there is no marking, then you should assume that it is not the correct class bolt.
Check that bolts are tightened. If you have 8.8 class bolts you must ensure that they are tightened to the correct torque of 33 ft/lb (or 45 NM).
A previous HSE safety alert bulletin covered the need to install a redesigned arm lock gear.
Check that your lift has the newer arm lock quadrant gear type.
The newer gear quadrants sit flush to the pin, have circular rather than slotted or elongated holes and have the appearance of being machined rather than cast.
More information is available from the previous Safety Bulletin.

Replace:
Contact the lift supplier to get replacement parts.
If the lift does not have a minimum class of 8.8 bolts for all arm gear bolted connections (or it does not have the redesigned arm lock gear) take immediate action to replace them.
Do not use the lift until the necessary replacements have been made by a competent person.
A manufacturer’s video demonstrating how replacement can be carried out is available.

Thorough examination by a competent person:
Users / owners must make sure that the lift undergoes thorough examination every six months as required by the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER 1998)

Maintain:
Users / owners of two-post vehicle lifts in general should inspect and maintain them in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
This includes regular checks (at least monthly, according to the manual) on the tightness of all bolted connections to ensure they are correctly torqued.
See the manual for further information on required maintenance checks.

Guidance:
HSE guidance on Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations
Previous HSE safety alert on BendPak two post vehicle lifts – safety issues relating to arm locking mechanisms.

If you are still unsure then please contact Inspectis North West Ltd and we may be able to drop by to provide further guidance.