Lift broken at work

Untill it's fixed could you make a chain of people up the first flight of stairs pass it between yous and rinse and repeat. Save yous going up and down

That must be really tough and I wouldn’t be happy doing it for an extended period. I would be inclined to insist on temps hired specifically for the heavy lifting (so they know what to expect and hopefully have a higher strength/fitness level).

However YABU to blame your employer for it taking so long to arrive and being convinced that the part hasn’t been ordered. Plenty of PPs have confirmed that lift parts for older models often take a long time to arrive and then be fitted. I don’t know who you think should keep the parts in stock but given that they’re costly and there’s no way to know which parts will need to be replaced, that would not be practical for lift owners really. Complaining about the price so much also suggests to me that the cost has already been incurred.

Yes, dramatic language. If you don't want to do it ANYMORE, and it's not part of your job then STOP DOING IT.

Are you doing that 10 times a day carrying heavy bags of linen?

OP, do you keep a full set of tyres, battery, windscreen wipers, etc. etc. for your car; igniters, heat exchangers, etc. etc. for your boiler, just in case you need them ?
We're not talking a couple of extra light bulbs here.

Then write this to management, your GP, acas and the hse.

I’m 54 and I choose to use the stairs instead of lift and we have alot of stairs, I’m now taking them two at a time it gets easier and will keep you fit .

Yes it is if you’re carrying bags of linen

you need lawyer/solicitor... split the cost with like minded colleagues.

I am quite suprised there is no service lift or a dumb waiter where at least you can move stuff from floor to floor. If they had that, I would agree that the stairs wouldn't be too big an ask.

What a stupid comment. OP's work means carrying heavy bags of bedding up and down stairs multiple times a day not just strolling up 4 flights with a handbag!

100% a risk assessment should be done and a temporary solution put in place. This could still mean manually lifting and carrying which is absolutely reasonable to expect, so long as appropriate safe measures are put in place (eg longer time given to complete the task, more frequent breaks, chaining like a PP suggested).

But I sense from the OPs use of dramatic language that they don’t actually want to do any kind of manual lifting or carrying though……

Suggest they employ a student to carry the linen for a few weeks?

Was going to suggest a stair climbing truck, but see a pp already has. They're not wildly expensive and would allow people to carry heavier loads in one go. I would really have people push your boss to get one or two of these to help while he waits for the part.

The Health & Safety Executive has some guidance The Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 Manual handling - Manual Handling Operations Regulations 1992 - Guidance on Regulations - HSE
There is no weight limit but a risk assessment must be in place and reasonable adjustments made to prevent injury from falling, losing control of the load or straining.

"some posters' go around the boards being as contrary as they can. Either they're doing it on purpose or they're unhappy in themselves.

I think OP the only way you're going to get any joy is to band together and tell management that they need to pitch in with the lugging until the lift is fixed and join a union if you haven't already.

They should only put suggestions to management that involve management fixing it. I shudder to think of the oh&s assessment for let’s have people all the way up the stairs dynamically lifting and passing heavy things up and down the staircase to the next person.

I would just refuse, loudly support everyone else to refuse, and if you see a cleaner continuing and looking tired, insist they take a break , leave their bundle half way up the stairs and take them to the nearest seat, and email their manager saying ‘I found x distrsssed on the stairs, I was worried she would faint, this carrying heavy loads up and down multiple flights of stairs is too hard. If I were a doctor I’d say she can’t do any more today or she risks a heart incident or faint. You will just have to tell senior management they will have to recruit a whole additional team now there is this whole new manual heavy lifting load. Also, I had to leave xs pile of sheets on the middle of the stairs between 3 & 4 so that’s a hazard, I didn’t have any other choice. X certainly couldn’t carry it and my back was strained with having done some of the carrying last week, those sheets are heavy and I won’t risk it, so that needs sorting. Yours, op.’

just so management know they are fully liable for any claims , they’ve been clearly informed. I hope the person with the sore knee has also put in a claim!! They have to fix the lift OR do all the carrying themselves OR just shut the business (hospital?) OR hire a whole extra team. Fixing the lift is cheap, make sure that’s obvious to them.

This reminds me of when I was a voluntary support worker. When I was about 18-19, I went away on a skiing holiday with a group of disabled people (wheelchair users) to a European country.

I don't know who was responsible for making the booking but it was a tiny little traditional village, and the hotels didn't have lifts. All the bedrooms were upstairs. We had to carry everyone down the stairs for breakfast with everything prepared to go out skiing. After being out on the slopes all day, we'd need to carry people back upstairs to get changed etc. Then back downstairs for dinner and evening entertainment, and then upstairs again for the end of the night.

Honestly, just horrendous all round. Absolutely exhausting for the support workers, especially as the skiing often required physical hands-on help too so we were already knackered when we got back to the hotel. But so humiliating for the individuals who had no independence at all for the trip.

I like @dreamingbohemian's idea of forming a chain to pass things up the stairs - this sounds like a brilliant solution. And you say it's only every 2 days, so it sounds very doable. Can't you put this idea to your management?

I was just thinking , why dont they order in the replacement parts ahead of time?

Because then you need to store them. And that Costs Money that shareholders can ill afford.

If only we had a streamlined just-in-time distribution system where a part can be expected within 36 hours of ordering. That would help, surely ?