Since the late 1800s, electric lifts have been used to allow the world to expand building to ever-increasing heights. There are more than 330,000 lifts in the UK, located in many places including hospitals, train stations, shopping centres, flats, and airports — even ski lifts! In UK housing, it is estimated that there are more than 50,000 operational lifts, with at least half of them installed more than 25 years ago. However, often the only trips people remember are when the lift drops them at the wrong floor, when the lift breaks down and they become trapped mid-floor, or when the lift is out of order altogether.

As lifts have become more technologically advanced, there is a greater need for a regular preventive and proactive maintenance programme. Failure to keep up with maintenance will harm performance, slow response time, increase downtime and raise costs.

Proactively addressing the most critical and sensitive elements in the elevator systems is the surest route to greater availability and reduced downtime.