Lift broken at work

[Mitara]

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

@Postre

You're very argumentative about it being a lot of stairs for the average person. You mean it is for you, since others are telling you it's not.

Well, the OP is the one who has to climb the stairs carrying linen, not other posters who wouldn’t have a problem with it.

Yes. If the company is public facing or has disabled employees, then a broken lift is not acceptable as access for the disabled is a legal requirement.

It sounds like a lot of stairs to me, especially carrying heavy loads.
I'm not sure there's much you can do though. Ask for a risk assessment or all go off sick with bad backs, which if you haven't got yet you probably will have soon

Not saying it to be difficult, but if one of my employees became disabled or we recruited a disabled person we wouldn't be able to employ them to work in the office. The building has no lift, has no ability to install one and we don't own it.

There's no way in our situation a lift would be a legal requirement.

(there are other alternatives such as remote working of course, but office based is impossible).

Our toilets broke last week. Totally unusable due to an unexpected blockage outside of our control.

We had them fixed as soon as was possible, but we don't have an on site drain unblocking company to hand at all times just in case the toilets break.

Sometimes shit (quite literally in our case!) just happens. It can't be predicted and it can't always be prevented and you can only react to the circumstances at the time.

Even if you get your car serviced regularly and keep it maintained well, sometimes something will just go wrong with them, no matter how well prepared you are. We wouldn't need breakdown recovery services otherwise.

If OP's boss is deliberately dragging his feet then that's totally unacceptable obviously. He does need to be considering other options (such as the stair climber I previously posted) to help, but ultimately he can't just close the company down while the lift is broken, so sometimes shit happens.

Which is completely different legally than a workplace that has a lift that needs repair.

However, it's been around six months for parts since at least 2014 when I first experienced the way that lift maintenance companies take a ton of money for a contract but then don't or can't supply parts when they stop working. The only thing that seemed to magically make parts appear was somebody getting trapped in it and a threat of 'either you come out now and sort this or we call the Fire Brigade', as doors opening without a lift being present just got them in to lock the doors and stick a cone up - or pointing out that the maintenance contract was due for renewal.

I therefore don't think Brexit has anything to do with it, as the wait times were identical beforehand.

The manager has said the part is ordered. Yes he will complain it is expensive but that really does not mean he has not put the order through. It is disrespectful to doubt the manager without evidence.
I have never heard of a fit healthy person having a hear attack through climbing stairs, although you may know differently. As it is causing you symptoms of a heart attack you must see your gp, if you heart is weak you can have an attack doing no activity don’t risk waiting if you are unwell if is your responsibility to do something about your health..
If other people have not complained then they may actually be finding the exercise beneficial to their health. As you have told your manager you are not doing it leave it to the others to complain if they do wish. Don’t be the person who is seen to be moaning if you don’t have to do it.
There are a number of hotels who leave the guests the duvet in a cover, pillow in a pillow case and sheet on the bed to make up their own bed. If the linen was in a bag and guests are young eg students, school children or asylum seekers they would most likely not mind carrying their own linen up. As an older lady I would say no issue and do it. Perhaps a solution for at least some rooms?

So the disabled staff would have to send home on full pay I guess.