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Original poster

Lift broken at work

208 replies

Mitara · 21/07/2025 09:04

The lift has been broken in my workplace for the last month.

The employer said he has been waiting for a part that he ordered.

However i have heard him moan about the cost of getting the lift fixed. He said that it will cot him thousands of pounds to get it fixed . He wont be paying for it out of his own pocket. It will come out of company money, but he just doesnt like paying for it.

The lift being broken has resulted in me and other members of staff having to walk up and down a lot of stairs more for normal tasks, and we are also having to do heavy lifting up and down stairs. I honestly feel like im going to collapse.

Is there any law or workplace safety regulation that states that an emloyer must get a lift fixed, if not having a lift is causing health and safety risks to employees.

I was trying to look it up last night but havent found anything specific yet. I would love to find something specific and show it to him

OP posts:
Original poster
Mitara · 21/07/2025 11:34

tripleginandtonic · 21/07/2025 11:30

If it's a hotel aren't the guests complaining?

They haven't complained because the cleaning team and my department have been meeting the linen requirements so far.

But we did the extra heavy lifting, as he told us it wouldnt be long until the lift is fixed.

But the longer this has gone on, and everyone is fit to collapse, everyone is saying that they cant do it much longer.

OP posts:
LittleBitofBread · 21/07/2025 11:33

Look up HSE and contact ACAS. I'm sure they need to do a risk/ health and safety assessment.

Alphabet1spaghetti2 · 21/07/2025 11:30

I have a similar job, linen and other heavy supplies including food up and down six flights of stairs daily. But we cannot have a lift installed due to Listed building stays and costs. It is hard. My employer gets around this by asking us to split loads into smaller quantities and ask for help (no, there isn’t lots of free, able bodied staff just floating around!). The reality is this particular piece of work always falls to the younger, more energetic person - that’s currently me! I’m heading rapidly for 60. I do have admit I’ve got quicker, fitter and saved a fortune in gym fees.

But it’s allowed as it’s been risk assessed and adjustments have been catered for. So I suspect your employer will be allowed to kick getting the lift fixed into the future

tripleginandtonic · 21/07/2025 11:30

If it's a hotel aren't the guests complaining?

Poopeepoopee · 21/07/2025 11:26

People are getting together and saying that they are going to refuse to do it anymore

Join those people and just refuse to do it.

He'll soon get it repaired.

SerendipityJane · 21/07/2025 11:22

But say it is similiar to a hotel.
Heavy bags of linen need to be brought up to all of the floors, to change the beds. The bags are really heavy and we need a lot of them.

I realise customers weren't mentioned, but I wonder what they would think, if it's an issue ?

When situations like this arise, it's rarely in isolation. If there are more bags now involved I wonder about fire safety and obstructed exits ? What else has been skimped on. It costs money to ensure fire extinguishers are operational. It costs money to ensure Portable Appliance Testing is undertaken. Etc. Etc.

Ihatelittlefriendsusan · 21/07/2025 11:21

I would suggest he probably hasn't ordered the part. I work in an office but it is over a hotel and the service lift has recently been broken, took the company 2 days to fix.

It is absolutely unreasonable to be expected to carry large bags of heavy linen up and down stairs...check the weights. Max single lift for a female is 15kg, but im not sure if that drops if you have to climb, I suspect it would. The HSE website would be the starting point and if not contact ACAS as they will be more familiar with the health and safety at work act. It's the document you need to start from.

I am a severe asthmatic so I could not walk up the equivalent of 40 flights of stairs. I would struggle to climb 2 flights carrying any sort of weight.

Original poster
Mitara · 21/07/2025 11:19

GaspingGekko · 21/07/2025 11:02

Are you suggesting that he is stalling getting it fixed because of the price? Or is he doing what he can to get it fixed, but also complaining about the cost?

I cant prove it, but i think that he is stalling getting it fixed, because of the price to fix it.

I keep hearing him complain about the cost of getting the lift fixed.

OP posts:
MaMisled · 21/07/2025 11:16

That's really unfortunate and hard work, I'm sure. I do know that lift parts often have to be sourced from Europe. I once worked with vulnerable adults who were confined to their respective floors for 4 weeks. It's not unusual.

HonoriaBulstrode · 21/07/2025 11:05

Well, it's not just the stairs, is it? The time taken to do all this extra stair climbing is time taken from doing their regular jobs. What is really needed is extra people to do all the lifting and carrying up and downstairs. A couple of fit and hefty 18yo lads would do. But of course the employer would have to pay for it.

sounds like it would do you some good

What a nasty comment.

okydokethen · 21/07/2025 11:03

That’s a lot of stairs particularly while it’s been so warm.

Morgenrot25 · 21/07/2025 11:03

Mitara · 21/07/2025 10:55

It is a lot of stairs for the average person.

If you walk up four flights of stairs, ten times.

That is walking up forty flights of stairs.

Forty flights of stairs is a huge amount.

Some of our cleaners told me that they felt like they were going to pass out the other day, after doing it .

People are getting together and saying that they are going to refuse to do it anymore

Edited
Show quote history

You keep saying 'flights' - how many steps actually is that?

GaspingGekko · 21/07/2025 11:02

Are you suggesting that he is stalling getting it fixed because of the price? Or is he doing what he can to get it fixed, but also complaining about the cost?

DeedlessIndeed · 21/07/2025 11:02

OP I disagree with PP. Carrying linen bags up 40 flights of stairs during a shift is not reasonable. That's horrendous.

Even fit and healthy people would find that tiresome.

I can offer no advice, just sympathy, buy I agree regarding asking for an update to the risk assessment. Is it a chain? Do they have a h&s team?

Lmnop22 · 21/07/2025 10:58

If he’s actually waiting for a part though, not much he can do!

Unless you suspect he’s lying about that?

Icanttakethisanymore · 21/07/2025 10:56

Not sure you'll consider it consolation but it will get easier as you get fitter!

Original poster
Mitara · 21/07/2025 10:55

Morgenrot25 · 21/07/2025 10:52

It really isn't a huge lot of stairs for the average person - if you have mobility issues or are very unfit then it is. It's more the carrying that would be the issue I'd say.

Show quote history

It is a lot of stairs for the average person.

If you walk up four flights of stairs, ten times.

That is walking up forty flights of stairs.

Forty flights of stairs is a huge amount.

Some of our cleaners told me that they felt like they were going to pass out the other day, after doing it .

People are getting together and saying that they are going to refuse to do it anymore

OP posts:
needtostopnamechanging · 21/07/2025 10:52

I would have no problem that’s why I said it wasn’t much - I’m 58 so not a spring chicken and I amnt a fitness freak either

sounds like it would do you some good

Morgenrot25 · 21/07/2025 10:52

Mitara · 21/07/2025 10:50

It is if you have to climb them ten times,

every second day. I would like to see you do it!

Absolutely everyone is complaining about it.

People are seeking legal and workplace advice as they feel they cant do it anymore.

Show quote history

It really isn't a huge lot of stairs for the average person - if you have mobility issues or are very unfit then it is. It's more the carrying that would be the issue I'd say.

Original poster
Mitara · 21/07/2025 10:50

needtostopnamechanging · 21/07/2025 10:47

That’s not a huge amount of stairs to climb unless you have a particular mobility issue

It is if you have to climb them ten times,

every second day. I would like to see you do it!

Absolutely everyone is complaining about it.

People are seeking legal and workplace advice as they feel they cant do it anymore.

OP posts:
Morgenrot25 · 21/07/2025 10:48

I'd welcome the the opportunity for all that walking, however the carrying is an issue imho. I'd be splitting it into as many small loads as possible, and having the person/people most able to carry doing the carrying. That's not a long term solution though.
If he is genuinely waiting for a part, which does sound a possibility, then everyone needs to muck in for now - including him!

needtostopnamechanging · 21/07/2025 10:47

That’s not a huge amount of stairs to climb unless you have a particular mobility issue

Original poster
Mitara · 21/07/2025 10:43

needtostopnamechanging · 21/07/2025 10:35

No if the bags are too heavy you don’t have to carry them up and down

in that case you need to split the bags to smaller quantities that you can carry

if they object to that and the extra time it will therefore take …

ask for the new risk assessment, ask who your health and safety rep is

Edited

The thing is, we have split the bags into smaller quantities, but when we split into smaller quantities, it then makes us have to walk up and four flights of stairs ten times.

I did this the other day and i felt like i was going to have a heart attack

As there is so much linen, if you split into smaller quantities, it then makes you walk up and down the stairs ten times.

Its a nightmare. Everyone is complaining.
We have all compainded about health and safety side of it. He says "well i am waiting for a part".

OP posts:
needtostopnamechanging · 21/07/2025 10:35

No if the bags are too heavy you don’t have to carry them up and down

in that case you need to split the bags to smaller quantities that you can carry

if they object to that and the extra time it will therefore take …

ask for the new risk assessment, ask who your health and safety rep is

Original poster
Mitara · 21/07/2025 09:21

So i dont want to say exactly what the building is as i think one of my bosses uses mumsnet.

But say it is similiar to a hotel.

Heavy bags of linen need to be brought up to all of the floors, to change the beds. The bags are really heavy and we need a lot of them.

With the lift being broken, we now have to carry up very heavy bags of linen,

up and down four flights of stairs, every second day.

It's way too much

OP posts: