Lift safety
Keeping you safe in your home
Some council homes and communal buildings managed by Winchester City Council contain different types of lifting equipment, including passenger lifts, stairlifts, platform lifts, through-floor lifts, and hoists.
Lifts are designed to be safe, but like any mechanical equipment they can pose risks if they are damaged, misused, or not properly maintained.
We are responsible for making sure that all lifts in our homes and buildings are safe, well-maintained, and compliant with legal requirements.
On this page
— How to contact us about a fault or concern
— What we will do to keep lifts safe
— How we respond to lift faults
— How you can help keep yourself and others safe
— What to expect during inspections and maintenance
— What to do if you are not satisfied with our response
— Working together to stay safe
How to contact us about a fault or concern
If you are worried about a lift in your home or building, please tell us straight away.
Even small concerns can indicate a developing problem, and we will always take them seriously.
Repairs and general enquiries: 01962 840 222
Use this number for faults such as:
- The lift stopping between floors
- Unusual noises or vibrations
- Jerky movements or slow operation
- Repeated breakdowns or error messages.
Emergency repairs (24 hours): 01962 865 405
Use this for urgent issues including:
- Entrapments
- Complete lift failure with vulnerable residents affected
- Unsafe or damaged equipment
- Electrical burning smells or smoke.
Email (non-urgent concerns): hhub@winchester.gov.uk
For routine enquiries or general concerns, such as:
- Minor surface damage
- Queries about inspection dates
- Questions about your stairlift or hoist.
Accessible information
If you need information in another language, large print, audio, or Easy Read, please let us know.
What we will do to keep lifts safe
To ensure lifts remain safe and compliant, we carry out planned inspections, servicing, and essential maintenance throughout the year. You can expect us to:
- Inspect and service passenger lifts every 6 months
- Inspect and service lifts that carry loads every 12 months
- Follow manufacturer guidance, legal requirements, and insurance recommendations
- Respond promptly to faults and entrapments
- Use only trained and competent lift engineers
- Keep full maintenance and compliance records for every lift
- Notify residents in advance of scheduled shutdowns or testing
- Ensure any safety issues identified are addressed promptly.
We aim to keep lifts running safely and with minimal disruption. Occasionally, a lift may need to be taken out of service if continuing to operate it would be unsafe. If this happens, we will always explain the reason and expected timeframe for repairs.
How we respond to lift faults
Breakdowns: We aim to attend within 4 hours.
Entrapments: We respond within 60 minutes.
Passenger lifts have built-in emergency intercoms connected to a monitoring centre, which can contact the Council or emergency services if required.
Before carrying out significant work, we will:
- Review recent inspection and maintenance records
- Carry out a safety check before restarting equipment
- Arrange a new engineer visit if required
- Ensure all contractors follow strict safety procedures
We will keep residents informed if work takes longer than expected.
How you can help keep yourself and others safe
You can help us keep lifts safe by:
- Reporting faults or damage immediately
- Keeping landings, lift entrances, and machine rooms clear
- Allowing engineers access to your home for stairlift or hoist maintenance
- Not carrying out DIY repairs or attempting to override safety systems
- Informing us if you are planning building works near a lift or shaft.
If engineers cannot access your home for equipment servicing, this may cause safety risks. We will always work with you to arrange suitable appointments, especially for vulnerable residents, but legal action may be required where access is repeatedly refused.
What to expect during inspections and maintenance
Immediate Risk – Lift taken out of service on the spot
If a serious defect is identified, engineers will:
- Shut down the lift immediately to prevent danger
- Explain the issue and how long repairs are expected to take
- Place warning notices and secure access
- Arrange emergency repairs.
The lift will not be restarted until it passes safety checks.
Urgent Defect – Safe to operate but needs quick repair
For urgent defects, engineers will:
- Allow the lift to remain in use if safe
- Explain what has been found and why repairs are needed soon
- Schedule repairs promptly
- Carry out additional checks at the next visit.
These issues are prioritised but do not require immediate shutdown.
Minor Defect – Recorded and monitored
Minor defects are not safety risks. During the visit, engineers will:
- Record the issue for future attention
- Explain any cosmetic or wear-and-tear observations
- Monitor the defect at the next planned service
- No interruption to lift use is usually required.
Training and competence
Our Building Safety Team is trained in lift safety management, compliance monitoring, and contractor oversight. All lift engineers and contractors:
- Hold appropriate qualifications and certifications
- Receive regular refresher training
- Are checked annually for competence, insurance, and safety performance.
Keeping you informed
We will communicate clearly about lift safety by:
- Providing notices in communal areas about planned work
- Updating residents when a lift is taken out of service
- Explaining inspection findings when issues arise
- Offering accessible information for residents who need support.
Monitoring and reporting lift safety
We regularly monitor:
- Inspection and servicing schedules
- Outstanding and completed follow-up actions
- Entrapments, breakdowns, and RIDDOR reports
- Contractor performance and response times.
Performance is reported to:
- Directorate Management Team (monthly)
- Strategic Director (quarterly)
- TACT Board (quarterly)
- Regulator of Social Housing (annually).
This helps ensure our lift safety service remains compliant and continually improves.
What to do if you are not satisfied with our response
If you have a lift safety concern please tell us as soon as possible. We will:
- Listen to your concern
- Assess the risk
- Take action to make the lift safe
- Keep you updated on what we are doing.
If you feel we have not handled your concern properly:
- You can make a formal complaint using our Complaints Process
- If you are still unhappy after our final response, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman Service for an independent review.
We follow the Housing Ombudsman’s Complaint Handling Code.
Working together to stay safe
Lifts are safe when regularly maintained and used correctly.
By reporting issues early, allowing access for inspections, and following guidance, you help us keep everyone safe in their homes.