01/06/2016

Spate of lift accidents

Update 27 Feb 2019: Door falls on woman at carpark lift lobby of Alexandra Central Mall

A woman was taken to hospital after a door fell on her at the carpark lift lobby of Alexandra Central Mall on Sunday evening (Feb 24).

Several Stompers alerted Stomp to a video of the incident, which occurred on the fourth floor of the building at around 6.24pm.

In the video, a man is seen entering the lift lobby through its doors. A woman then follows behind.


Singapore family traumatised after faulty HDB lift surges up twice
There are two lifts in the block

A family of 4 were left traumatised after a lift they were in suddenly surged upwards, overshot the designated floor and went to the 14th floor, before descending back to the ground floor, & then ascending to the 14th floor again -- despite the display showing it was on the 9th storey.

The incident happened at Lift Lobby B of Block 670 Jalan Damai, at about 8.30pm on May 6, reported Lianhe Wanbao.

Mr Hong, 50, who has lived at the block for 20 years, said he that he along with his 50-yr-old wife, 19-yr-old daughter and 18-year-old son were returning home at the time of the incident, and boarded the lift at Lobby B.


Sengkang lift plunges down 3 floors before shooting up, injuring elderly taxi driver

A 63-year-old taxi driver was injured on two occasions in a span of two days this week after taking a defective elevator at Block 122 Sengkang East Way. Interestingly, the defective elevator had reportedly been repaired two weeks before it began malfunctioning again, according to the taxi driver.

“This lift always gives problems. The doors always cannot close properly. Maintenance was done just 2 weeks ago and it was still working fine on Sunday. Who knows the lift problem suddenly worsened instead.”

The taxi driver, Mr Tan, first injured himself on Monday (15 Jan) around 5pm when he was about to exit the lift compartment when he tripped and fell. When he checked the lift, he noticed that the lift floor was not level with the ground and found that there was a 15cm gap between the ground and the lift floor.


Cabby injured after Sengkang lift plunges three storeys in a second

An elderly cabby suffered injuries on his ankle and shoulder after he was thrown off his feet when the lift he was on descended three stories within a second.

The incident happened at Block 122, Sengkang East Way on Tuesday (Jan 16) at around 6pm.

This comes after a separate incident at around 5pm on Monday (Jan 15), in which the cabby tripped due to a misalignment between the lift floor and the lobby, reported Shin Min Daily News.


Citizens mock the standard of lift servicing in PAP town councils
Broken lift in Jurong West (Source: The Straits Times)

In a Straits Times report dated 24 September 2017, it is reported that six families in a four-storey HDB block in Jurong West Ave 1 have been left with no lift access for 12 weeks, ever since a lift broke down in July.

It is said that the lift D in Block 542 has been closed for repairs after it plunged four floors, leaving a woman with a fractured leg.

The incident took place on 1 July and the lift is still unserviceable. The town council told the media that repairs took longer than expected as a final component had to be ordered from overseas, adding that it hopes the lift can be up and running by the end of next month.


No lift at Jurong block for 12 weeks and the wait’s not over

Six families in a four-storey HDB block in Jurong have been left with no lift access for 12 weeks, ever since a lift broke down in July.

Lift D in Block 542, Jurong West Ave 1, has been closed for repairs after it plunged four floors, leaving a woman with a fractured leg.

he town council said repairs took longer than expected as a final component had to be ordered from overseas. It hopes the lift can be up and running by the end of next month.


Wait 12 weeks and Counting for Replacement Parts to Faulty Jurong Lift

Another case of failing procurement process. Overseas manufactured lift but no ready lift parts.

Obscured brand/make of lift? Past track record of reliability ever considered, besides price?

The responsible party approving its use technically trained, or not?


Explanation needed for spate of HDB lift problems
Are there major contributors to the current spate of problems?

Another HDB lift, in Jurong West, has malfunctioned & injured a person (HDB lift suspended after falling four floors, injuring passenger; July 3).

Some questions need answering: Are there more incidents of lift breakdowns causing injuries & fatalities in recent years? Did the lifts malfunction owing to age, design & construction, maintenance or the lack thereof?

This may include certification, the competency of supervisory authorities at the national and local levels, the quality of suppliers and maintenance companies, the lift manufacturer’s country of origin as well as service personnel’s demographics, job background and job authorisation.


Yet another faulty lift at Sengkang East Way traps 70-year-old in lift for 40 minutes

Just two days after a 10-year-old girl was injured in a lift accident at Block 325A, Sengkang East Way, the second lift at the same block broke down on Friday afternoon, trapping 70-year-old retiree Mr Lee Keng Duan in the lift compartment for 40 minutes.

Mr Lee was stuck between the first and second floor of the HDB block and found that he could not call anyone as his mobile phone did not have reception in the lift. Fortunately, neighbour Mr Sanjay Pandey passed by the lift and alerted Ang Mo Kio Town Council.

Mr Panday and his wife, Mdm Mohini, are the same neighbours who helped the Chung family when their daughter was struck by a lift light cover that had collapsed on Wednesday.


10-year-old girl is latest victim of lift accidents in HDB buildings

Despite tightening lift maintenance standards, 10-year-old Chung Yan Ting has become the latest victim of faulty HDB lifts when part of the ceiling light on the lift fell on her as she entered the compartment.

This is the most recent serious lift accident in the past few years, following the incident of a woman whose spine was fractured after she was jerked up and down suddenly while she was in a lift last year, and after the death of an elderly man in May last year who succumbed to injuries from a fall that occurred when he reversed his mobility scooter out of a lift that had stopped 15cm above the ground.

This time, Yan Ting was with her family at Block 325A Sengkang East Way when her mother first entered the defective lift. As Yan Ting followed behind her mother, her father noticed a long metal rod on the lift’s floor. Before he could look around to investigate further, half of the metal and plastic light cover dislodged from the lift’s ceiling and struck Yan Ting.


Lift firm banned from tendering for new HDB projects
Sigma Elevator disallowed from tendering for new HDB projects since October 2015

A lift company that had installed some 3,500 lifts in Housing Board estates has been banned from tendering for new HDB projects since October 2015.

This is due to the inability of the firm, Sigma Elevator, "to fully adhere to the timeline of lift installation for certain projects", a HDB spokesman told The Straits Times on Friday.

The restriction is part of HDB's procedure to stop poor performing contractors from tendering for new HDB projects, so as to allow them to focus their resources on fulfilling their ongoing contract obligations.


Blame contractor for lift accidents

Singapore’s Housing Development Board (HDB) is absolving itself of responsibilities by pushing the blame for the recent spate of lift accidents to contractors. One such contractor, Sigma Elevator, a subsidiary company of Otis Elevator Company, has been singled out as a scapegoat and banned from tendering in new HDB lift projects. Sigma has installed 3,500 HDB lifts for about a decade since 2007.

In their media statement with state media Straits Times, HDB said that more than half the reported cases in 2015 involved the contractor as manufacturer or maintenance contractor. Sigma Elevator was banned from tendering new lift projects since Oct 2015 as the contractor was unable to meet project deadlines.

“Going forward, HDB will not hesitate to exercise its contractual rights where required, which may also include imposition of liquidated damages and debarment from all public sector works.”



Four lifts at Waterway Cascadia in Punggol broke down for more than four hours

Lifts at the new Build-To-Order (BTO) flats at Waterway Cascadia which located in Punggol broke down for about four hours on Tuesday (10 January).

Lianhe Wanbao reported that all four lifts at Blocks 314A and 314B broke down at around 5pm. Residents said that the disruptions have been happening at least once a month since September last year.

The lifts are manufactured and maintained by lift company Sigma Elevator.


Issue of malfunctioning lifts in Punggol being addressed: MP

For months now, the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council has been keeping track of the lifts in the area that break down frequently so that rectification works can be done swiftly.

And cleaning contractors have been hired specifically to clear the debris that causes some lifts to malfunction, Member of Parliament Sun Xueling said yesterday when asked about updates on the malfunctioning lifts for the new flats at Waterway Cascadia.

It was reported this month that residents at the new Build-to-Order project in her Punggol West ward had to put up with frequent issues such as the lifts getting stuck at certain floors and lift doors that cannot close fully.


Punggol faulty lifts: resident says “authorities have used the media to tell a different story”

Punggol resident Jeremy Phua sent an email to the media explaining how the lifts at his new BTO block of flats had not been functioning properly since he moved in during September this year.

In the email, he said he had called the estate management service office “almost every other day” to raise the issue. This is how he describes the problem:
The lifts will often get stuck at various levels and stop working. And more often than not, they will stop at a level and the doors cannot close fully – residents have to push both sides of the door to get it closed so that it continues moving. This happens at every level the lift stops at. This happens so frequently and our estate is not even fully occupied yet. Our block is 18 storey high, each level having around 10 units and served by 2 lifts – so you can imagine how things will be like during rush hours when we have full occupancy.

Lift problems plague some new HDB estates

Unresponsive control buttons, jerky lift motions and clanking metallic sounds are not what people expect when they ride a lift.

But these experiences are par for the course for residents at several new HDB estates with Sigma lifts, residents told The Straits Times.

Some, such as educator Denise Tham, 28, said taking the two lifts in her block is a frightening experience. Last month, the Compassvale Mast resident and her husband were taking the lift to their 16th- storey flat when it stopped suddenly, plunged one storey, and then let them out on the wrong floor.



Centralised system to monitor lift, contractor performance across PAP town councils

A group of People’s Action Party (PAP) town council members, lift engineers, and specialists is developing a centralised system to monitor lift and contractor performance across all 15 PAP town councils.

Currently, each town council monitors the performance of lifts in their area.

The new system is being developed amid calls for greater scrutiny of lift standards following a spate of lift-related injuries in recent years. One lift contractor, Sigma, has been barred from new HDB projects due to delays and a higher-than-usual breakdown rate.


Parts of lift ceiling fell and injured family at Pasir Ris Drive 4

Part of the lift's ceiling at Block 480, Pasir Ris Drive 4, fell and hit Mr Yazid, his 63-year-old father and his two-year-old son when they were in the lift on their way back home last Thursday (10 November) at around 10pm.

According to the report by Straits Time, the boy, Mr Yazid's youngest child, had a bump on his head and Mr Yazid's father was scratched by the metal panel, which was left dangling on what seemed like a wire. While, fortunately, Mr Yazid, his wife, and his two older daughters did not sustain any injuries.

Mr Yazid said, "It just dropped on us suddenly and landed on our heads. Everybody was shocked."


Boon Lay resident hurt when HDB lift falls and rises unexpectedly
A woman injured her ankles after the lift at her block dropped three floors suddenly. She said this was the second time it's happened to her. This is at Blk 207 Boon Lay Place, lift C

A 65-YR-OLD Boon Lay resident hurt her leg on Nov 15 when the lift in her Boon Lay Housing Board block plunged unexpectedly from the 3d floor to the ground floor, then rose again to the 2nd floor, Chinese daily Lianhe Zaobao reported.

The lift - at Block 207, Boon Lay Place - is currently closed. The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said, on Friday, it was alerted to an incident.

BCA engineers, representatives from the West Coast Town Council and the lift contractor visited the site to investigate.

read more

Woman suffers spine fracture in 5th lift accident in 8 months
Mdm Yeo suffered a compression fracture to her lumbar vertebrae and was warded at Ng Teng Fong General Hospital overnight for observations. Photos: Raymond Tham/TODAY

For the 5th time in 8 months, a lift of a Housing and Development Board block had malfunctioned, causing a woman to suffer a spine fracture after the lift she was in shot up and down erratically twice.

Madam Yeo Choon Tee, 59, said she was heading to pick up her granddaughter at about noon on Tue (Jun 7) when the lift’s doors at Block 150, Petir Road did not open at the ground floor. Instead, it shot up “faster than normal” to the 11th floor.

It then sped to the 3d floor and zoomed up again before coming to an abrupt stop between the 12th and 13th floors, throwing her to the floor.

read more

MND should give full account of lift mishaps

A day after MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, Mr Zainal Sapari saying no fault was found in a lift that had malfunctioned at Block 299A Compassvale Street, the problem at the same lift happened again.

Twitter user Sara Victoria Grosse shared a picture of the malfunctioning lift on her social media platform.

Meanwhile, the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) has asked the Ministry of National Development to provide Singaporeans a full account of its lift maintenance records. The following is a press release by SDP:
  • 14 October 2015, Jurong: A lift door jammed, causing the hand of an 85-year-old woman to be severed.
  • 23 January 2016, Punggol: The doors of the lift remained open as the elevator moved.
  • 6 March 2016, Ang Mo Kio: A lift shot up 17 floors when the lift-brakes malfunctioned, trapping a passenger inside for one-and-a-half hours.
  • 15 May 2016, Pasir Ris: A lift jammed when the doors opened, leaving a gap that caused a wheelchair-bound elderly passenger to fall and die.
  • 7 June 2016, Bukit Panjang: A lift bounced up and down like a yo-yo, going down from the 9th to the 1st floor, shooting up to the 11th, plunging back down to the 3rd and finally going back up to the 12th. It left a 59-year old woman’s spine fractured.
  • 10 June 2016, Sengkang: A lift jerked to a sudden halt and then plunged a couple of floors before coming to a complete stop.
related:
Even PRCs file complaints against their own locally made lifts
EM Services responsible for maintaining lift involved in spine-injury incident
Even PRCs complain against Shenyang Brilliant Elevators
Shenyang Brilliant Elevator




Govt should set up task force to probe spate of lift accidents

The recent spate of Housing and Development Board (HDB) lift accidents & malfunctions, resulting in injuries and one death, is worrying (“Operators, users have part to play in maintenance of lifts”; Jun 23).

There are questions begging for answers from the authorities: Are there old lifts in HDB estates that have not been maintained regularly? Are the relatively new lifts bought from one source overseas or different sources?

How often do the lift operators do maintenance? How qualified are the technicians -- for instance, what type of qualifications do foreign technicians possess?


Renovation debris may have caused lift breakdown in Yishun
According to Nee Soon Town Council, there have been 2 reports filed about the lift malfunctioning at Block 511A, Yishun Street 51.PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Debris left behind by contractors after renovation works could be the reason why an HDB lift malfunctioned and resulted in several residents being trapped inside.

Mr Liu Yu Zhu, 33, who lives in Block 511A, Yishun Street 51, was leaving for work about a week ago when the lift got jammed 2 floors down from his 7th-floor flat.

He was stuck inside for 20 minutes before another resident managed to help him pull the doors open and get him out.


Residents grounded as lifts at Dover lose power

RESIDENTS returning home to Block 28B in Dover Crescent during lunch yesterday were left helpless when all four lifts serving their 40-storey Housing Board block lost power for close to an hour.

While some waited for the lift service to be restored, others resorted to climbing the stairs.

Jess Thia, who is in her 40s, said she was coming back from lunch at around 12.30pm when she noticed all the lifts were out of action.


Veteran journalist: Frequent lift breakdowns no longer just a constituency problem but a national one

Facebook user Jess Thia reported that all lifts in a 40-story HDB block in Dover Crescent broke down due to a power outage. She said that the power outage lasted from 12.35pm and lasted till about 1.15pm at Block 28B at Dover Crescent.

She said she tried climbing to her flat on the higher floors, but gave up halfway. She said that she saw a school boy climbing up and was panting badly.

Channel NewsAsia later reported on the lifts breaking down and said that a lift would break down in the block at least once a month.


P Balji shared The Alternative View's photo

If the recent spate of lift accidents had taken place in AHTC-managed wards, we are sure the PAP would have ordered a full-scale inquiry and its MND Minister Desmond Lee and the MSM would have wasted no time to slam and smear the Workers' Party.



All Three Lifts at 30-Floor Woodlands Flat Breakdown, Maintenance Team Not Seen the Whole Day
The flat is over 3o storeys high

A power outage yesterday morning caused 2 of the 3 lifts at this Woodlands flat to break down.

Later in the evening, a 3rd lift broke down and only then did the maintenance team spring into action.

Residents at Block 302A Woodlands St 32 were exasperated when they couldn’t use any of the lifts at 6pm.


68-year-old woman fractured wrists in malfunctioning lift accident in Bt Batok

Chinese newspaper Shin Min Daily News reported today about another malfunctioning lift accident in which a 68-year-old woman was injured. The incident happened on 9 June at about 9am at Block 285 Bukit Batok East Ave 3.

The old woman told reporters that she took the lift to go to the shops nearby to buy groceries when the accident happened. She said the lift vibrated as it was going down and when it opened it did not align fully with the ground.

The woman who did not notice the 30 centimeters gap between the floor of the lift and the ground level, tripped and fell. She fractured her wrists and bruised her left eye. She said that she was unable to open her eyes for two days. Her wrists are still in casts.



Lift-related injuries must be reported to BCA under new rules

From next month, lift owners and contractors will have to inform the Building & Construction Authority (BCA) of any injury or malfunction of safety-critical components such as brakes, as soon as possible.

This is part of stricter regulations to take effect from next month, a BCA spokesman said yesterday in response to a Straits Times query about the latest lift incident involving a 68-yr-old woman.

Retired factory worker Lai Hsiu-Lan was going to the market on June 9 when she tripped while exiting the lift.



BCA introduces measures to tighten lift maintenance and enhance lift safety
After a string of lift-related accidents in the past few months, the Building and Construction Authority of Singapore (BCA) announced it would introduce a series of measures to enhance lift reliability and safety, starting by tightening the maintenance regime from Jul 2016.

In a press release on Thu (Jun 16), BCA said the current regulatory regime requires passenger lifts to be maintained at least once a month, and to undergo an examination, inspection and testing once a year. BCA’s regular audit checks indicate that most lifts in Singapore are in good condition and safe to operate, the authority said.

However, its investigations into recent lift incidents have revealed that the overall standard of maintenance by lift contractors could be further improved, it added.

related:
Sengkang lift malfunctions for the second time in 3 days
Bukit Panjang HDB lift ‘over-runs’, injuring woman's spine
Check if heavy use of lifts affects reliability: MPs to BCA
Elderly man dies following lift incident in Pasir Ris



Tighter rules for lift upkeep welcomed

Residents & experts welcomed the tighter regulations on lift maintenance, but some noted that safety still boils down to how conscientiously such work is performed.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) yesterday announced there will be a detailed checklist for maintenance work that will kick in next month.

All lifts will also require an annual permit from BCA to operate from the 2nd half of next year, and the agency will also beef up industry capabilities through measures such as new training programmes.


BCA moves to tighten lift maintenance, boost safety

Tighter rules in maintaining lifts and a new permit system will soon kick in as the authorities take action following a spate of lift accidents.

Starting next month, new, more detailed requirements will be spelt out for monthly lift maintenance and will draw penalties if they are not complied with, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) said yesterday.

For instance, brakes and lift parts must be checked to ensure they are not contaminated by oil or grease.


Recent lift incidents:
  • OCT 9, 2015 - Madam Khoo Bee Hua, an 85-year-old Jurong resident, lost her left hand after the lift doors closed on her dog's leash that she was still holding onto while her pet was outside.
  • MARCH 7, 2016 - A lift at Block 317, Ang Mo Kio Street 31, shot up 17 storeys, causing an Indonesian domestic worker, Ms Evi Lisnawati, 36, to fall and hurt her back.
  • MAY 15, 2016 - Mr Lim Hang Chiang, 77, died after hitting his head when his mobility scooter tipped as he was backing out of the lift.
  • JUNE 7, 2016 - Part-time cleaner Yeo Choon Tee, 59, hurt her spine when taking a lift from the ninth floor of Block 150, Petir Road, in Bukit Panjang.
  • JUNE 10 & 12, 2016 - On June 10, the lift at Block 299A, Compassvale Street in Sengkang, which was carrying six passengers, jerked, stopped randomly between floors and shot downwards suddenly.
Investigations are ongoing.



Spate of lift accidents
The lift at Block 317, Ang Mo Kio Street 31, which suddenly shot up 17 storeys to the top floor.ST FOTO: MARCUS TAN

The accident involving Madam Khoo Bee Hua last Oct at Block 322, Tah Ching Road, was the 1st in a spate of high-profile lift incidents that prompted the authorities to ramp up checks.

In Jan, a lift at Block 114, Edgefield Plains in Punggol, was suspended from operation after an inner door remained open as the lift moved.

Most recently in Mar, a lift at Block 317, Ang Mo Kio Street 31, suddenly shot up 17 storeys to the top floor, causing a domestic worker, Ms Evi Lisnawati, to fall and hurt her back.

read more

Lift accidents: What to know and how to react

THIS is becoming worrisome. A recent spate of incidents involving lift malfunctions has caused much alarm among many Singaporeans. According to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA), there have been only 10 reported lift incidents since 2013. Yet, the death of a 77-year-old man on May 16 is already the fourth reported incident in the last seven months.


The first incident happened on October 9, 2015, when Madam Khoo Bee Hua’s left hand was severed by an elevator in Block 322, Tah Ching Road. Her dog, which had been on a leash attached to her left wrist, did not enter the lift with Madam Khoo before the doors closed. As the leash was only 2mm thick, the sensors – which can only recognise obstructions at least 10mm thick – had failed to detect the object, causing it to tighten around her hand as the elevator ascended. An Authorised Examiner (AE) appointed to conduct an independent investigation concluded that the “lift door protective devices did not fail”.

The second incident took place in January 2016, when a lift in Block 114, Edgefield Plains in Punggol, was suspended after the inner door failed to close as the lift ascended the block – most lifts usually have two doors, an outer lobby door and an inner lift door. Nobody was injured in this incident.

read more

Tighter maintenance schedule ‘may be needed to reduce lift incidents’

The “occasional” lift accidents happening in Singapore suggest that town councils may have to replace parts more promptly than what is prescribed by the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), said Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure Khaw Boon Wan yesterday.

Speaking at a forum on infrastructure maintenance, Mr Khaw said: “You just take a look at the occasional lift accidents. It suggests to us that maybe our replacement schedule may have to be more prompt or tighter than what the OEM may have prescribed.”

Such a move, he added, means town councils may need more in their sinking funds, which are used for major cyclical works including lift maintenance. “We’re still not saving enough, maybe,” he said.

related: Man killed by fall after lift stops off the ground

read more

BCA to step up checks on lifts, review regulations: Lawrence Wong
The lift at Block 512 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 8 has been stuck on the 11th floor since Tuesday (Mar 8). (Foto: Loke Kok Fai)

Checks of lifts in Singapore, especially those in Housing and Development Board (HDB) blocks, will be stepped up after a spate of incidents.

In a FaceBook post on Friday (Mar 11), National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said he has asked the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) to step up independent audit checks of passenger lifts around Singapore.

The checks will be stepped up especially for lifts in HDB blocks, Mr Wong said, adding that the checks may cause some disruption to lift operations and inconvenience to residents.

read more

Govt to ramp up lift inspections islandwide
A spate of lift mishaps has prompted an islandwide ramp-up in inspections

The BCA said the checks will pay more attention to lifts in areas where incidents have occurred, before moving on to other places.

There are about 59,000 passenger lifts in Singapore.

According to the BCA, there have been 10 lift incidents since 2013.

read more

Town councils may have to set aside funds for new lifts

Town councils (TC) may be required to set aside a stipulated portion of their sinking fund to replace old lifts, a move the authorities are considering even as they pledge to step up checks on lifts in the light of recent high-profile accidents.

National Development Minister Lawrence Wong announced the potential measure yesterday when he said his ministry was looking into ways to help town councils manage their finances better.

It wants them to plan ahead and keep an eye on whether they have enough funds for the long term. To this end, it may require "town councils to submit their projections and plans for financial sustainability", he said.

read more

Check if heavy use of lifts affects reliability: MPs to BCA

Several Members of Parliament (MPs) are calling for authorities to check if the heavy use of lifts affects their reliability and if so, to consider replacing such lifts before they reach the end of their designated 28-yr lifespan.

The MPs' calls follow a series of recent lift accidents including one earlier this week, where a lift malfunctioned at a Housing Development Board (HDB) block in Petir Road, leaving a resident injured. This is the 4th such accident in eight months that resulted in injury.

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has stepped up audits of lifts islandwide, and is conducting a review of lift regulations. Once this is completed, changes to the law will be proposed later this year.

related:
Bukit Panjang HDB lift ‘over-runs’, injuring woman's spine
Elderly man dies following lift incident in Pasir Ris


read more

Puzzled over town councils' lift performance ratings

In the report on town councils' estate management performance ("No red marks for all town councils in latest report"; Tue), it was stated that all 16 town councils passed muster, with all town councils receiving the "Good" rating in lift performance.

However, in the past few months, there have been serious incidents regarding lift performance and maintenance.

In 1 case, the lift sped out of control. In another, an elderly man on a mobility scooter died when his vehicle toppled because the lift was not level with the ground.


Another lift malfunction in same town council where 77-year-old man died causes scare

The Straits Times today reported another incident of a malfunctioning lift. This time, the incident happened in Sengkang. A resident of Block 299A Compassvale Street, Mr Tan Joo Jin aged 45, told how the malfunctioning lift gave him and other residents who were in the same lift with him, a scare of their lives.

Mr Tan said the incident happened yesterday (10 June). He entered the lift on the 15th floor and five other people entered it on the 8th floor. He said that the lift suddenly jerked strongly when it was in-between the 3rd and 4th floor, before shooting down and stopping between levels 2 and 3. It eventually landed hard on the ground floor.

Mr Tan said that he emailed the Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council and received a reply that the issue was being looked into.

related:
After several China-like lift malfunction accidents here BCA swings into action
MND should give full account of lift mishaps
Even PRCs file complaints against their own locally made lifts
EM Services responsible for maintaining lift involved in spine-injury incident
Even PRCs complain against Shenyang Brilliant Elevators
Shenyang Brilliant Elevator


read more

59-year-old cleaner fractured spine in another malfunctioning lift accident

Another lift malfunction was in another housing estate has caused a 59-year-old woman to injure her spine.

The Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council (HBPTC) said today (Jun 9) that it had suspended the operation of a lift at Block 150 Petir Road after it “over-ran” and injured a 59-year-old woman on 7 June (Tuesday). it has appointed an authorised examiner to conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.

The town council said in their statement that the woman, who it identified only as a Madam Yeo, was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and warded for overnight observation before being discharged the next day on June 8. It said that it would continue to offer assistance to Mdm Yeo, who works as a part-time cleaner.

read more

Bukit Panjang HDB lift ‘over-runs’, injuring woman's spine

The Holland-Bukit Panjang Town Council (HBPTC) on Thursday (Jun 9) said it has shut down a lift at Block 150 Petir Road after it “over-ran” and injured a 59-year-old woman on Tuesday.

In a statement, the town council said it has been issued with a notice to suspend the lift’s operation and to appoint an authorised examiner to conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the incident.

It added the victim, who wanted to be known only as Mdm Yeo, was taken to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital and warded for overnight observation before being discharged the next day on Jun 8.

read more

Mobility device user dies after lift accident

A 77-yr-old man died in hospital in the wee hours yesterday after his mobility scooter toppled as he was backing out of a lift on the ground floor on Sunday.


The doors of the lift at Block 247, Pasir Ris Street 21, where Mr Lim Hang Chiang lived, had opened when it was around 15cm above the floor of the lobby, said his younger son Lim Keng Swee, 45, a safety executive. But his father did not realise that.

Technical executive Mohamad Ahsurin, 35, one of two residents who were in the lift with the elder Mr Lim, said: "I was holding the lift door for him. The (mobility scooter) fell out of the lift backwards, and he hit the back of his head."

read more

Lift operations were suspended immediately after accident, MP Zainal on incident which killed 77-year-old

Mr Zainal Sapari, the MP of the ward in which the lift malfunction led to the death of the 77-year-old man, has commented in his Facebook about the incident.

Mr Zainal said that the town council was notified about the incident at 10.40am on Sunday (15 May), and that a lift rescue team was immediately sent to the site of the accident to suspend lift operations until the cause of the accident is established.

He further said that two town council officers went to the hospital to render assistance to the family of the injured man. He said that he was sad that the old man passed away on 16 May at 2.19 am and extended his deepest condolences to the family.

related: Wheelchair bound 77-yr-old dies in malfunctioning lift accident in Pasir Ris

read more

Faulty HDB lift kill handicapped elderly

A faulty HDB lift at Blk 247 Pasir Ris Street 21 which stopped 25cm above the ground used a handicapped elderly on a wheelchair to fall backwards and hit his head onto the ground. The 77-year-old man died in hospital today (May 16).

The incident happened on Sunday (May 15) morning around 10.40am when the elderly man on a motorised wheelchair was reversing to exit the HDB lift. He however did not notice the 25cm height difference between the lift landing and the ground, which resulted in him falling backwards along with the wheelchair. The elderly suffered a skill fracture and serious internal bleeding in the brain. His condition deteriorated before he was admitted into surgery and passed away at 2.14am on Monday morning.

This is the first fatal incident resulted from faulty lifts in HDB precincts. In October 2015, an elderly woman’s hand was severed by the doors of a faulty HDB lift. The maintenance operations is managed by local town councils, and it is unknown how frequent the town councils conduct a check.

related:
Elderly woman’s hand severed at HDB lift
HDB lift safety compromised as display of lift certificates no longer required
Third horror HDB lift incident saw lift sprung up 17 levels
Video: Slow response from Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council on faulty lift door


read more

77-year-old uncle died of head injury sustained from fall caused by malfunctioned lift

A 77-year-old man died in the early morning of 16 May after a lift accident that left him in a coma. Mr Lim Hang Chiang had reversed his motorised wheelchair out of a lift that had stopped 15 centimetres above the ground, causing him to fall backwards.

The accident occurred in a lift at Block 247, Pasir Ris Street 21 at around 10.30 am on 15 May. Two other residents also took the lift with Mr Lim. He entered the lift on the 11th floor and sat with his back facing the lift doors. When the lift reached the ground floor, Mr Lim exited by reversing his motorised wheelchair out of the lift.

However, as the lift was 15 centimetres above the ground, Mr Lim fell backwards as he reversed out of the lift, hitting his head on the ground.

related: Lift upgrading for blocks: Why are we being missed out?

read more

Elderly man dies after wheelchair tips over due to faulty lift

A 77- year-old wheelchair-bound man was killed in an accident yesterday morning (15 May) due to a faulty lift.

The victim, Mr. Chang LinHan had taken the lift up to the 10th floor at Block 247 Pasir Ris Street 21 where he stayed.

As he was reversing his motorised wheelchair out of the lift, he did not notice a 25 cm gap between the floor and the level where the lift had  stopped. As a result, Mr Chang’s wheelchair tipped over and fell, resulting in skull fracture and bleeding in the brain.

read more

OLD MAN DIES AFTER FALLING OFF MALFUNCTION HDB LIFT IN PASIR RIS

In Pasir Ris New Town, an elderly 77 year old man died of his head injuries after falling off a HDB lift which was misaligned and stopped 20 cm above ground level.

The man had entered the lift with his back facing the door while on his mobility scooter. Without realising that the lift stopped 20 cm higher than usual, as the elderly man reversed out of the lift, he fell backwards and hit the back of his head causing a skull fracture and bleeding in the brain.

He was rushed to the hospital but 15 hours later died of his injuries.

read more

Elderly woman's hand severed by lift doors at HDB block

An elderly woman found her left hand trapped in between the lift doors at a HDB block along Tah Ching Road, near Jurong Lake, on Fri morning (Oct 9).

It is understood that her left hand was severed by the incident. She is a resident of the block and lives on the 16th storey.

An Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) spokesman confirmed that it was alerted to the incident at 07.27 am on the ground floor of Block 322. On the arrival of the SCDF officers, rescue tools were used to pry open the lift doors to release the elderly woman, who was stuck inside the lift.

related:
BCA suspends lift that severed woman's hand; JTC to investigate incident
I did not feel pain, I was just so scared: Tah Ching Road lift accident victim

read more

Tah Ching Road accident: Lift door protective devices did not fail, says report

The authorised examiner (AE) looking into the Tah Ching Road lift accident which left an elderly woman with her hand severed has delivered his final investigation report, announced the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) on Fri (Nov 6).

In his findings, the AE said that the "door protective devices cannot be proven reasonably to have failed to function properly on the day on the incident".

"It was clear that during the evacuation operations conducted by SCDF, the lift doors had clearly responded to obstructions several times when SCDF officers were in the door way at 07.26 am, time stamped by Police CCTV footage," he added.

related: Multi-beam sensors may not have prevented Tah Ching Road lift accident

read more

Tah Ching Road lift accident: Investigation report finds lift safety devices in working order

The safety devices of the lift that severed an elderly woman's left hand last month have been found to be in working order, according to the final investigation report submitted to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).

"All the door protective devices were tested and verified to be working according to their specifications," said the BCA in a statement on Fri (Nov 6), citing findings from the report submitted by an authorised examiner (AE).

"The door protective devices cannot be proven reasonably to have failed to function properly on the day of the incident," the BCA added.

related: Woman's hand severed in lift accident at HDB block

read more

Hand-severing lift accident: leash too thin for safety sensors

BE CAREFUL when you are trailing any strap that’s less than 10mm or 1cm wide on getting into a lift. Lift accident victim, Madam Khoo Bee Hua’s dog leash was just 2mm, which was why the lift doors closed on it.

The 85 year-old had her hand severed in October when her hand was dragged through a gap in the lift door while she was inside the lift. She was holding onto a leash of her dog, which was still outside the lift.

A report by an Authorised Examiner (AE), who investigated the accident which occurred in Block 322, Tah Ching Road tells us what led to the accident on Oct 9.

read more


Jurong lift accident report delayed

WE’LL have to wait two more weeks to find out what’s wrong with that hand-severing lift in Jurong. The deadline for the authorised examiner’s report on the lift has been extended again to Nov 2 (next Monday), to allow for more tests. That report will only be made public a week later.

85-year-old Madam Khoo Bee Hua lost her left hand and broke her leg in the accident earlier this month. She is now recovering at a community hospital. Her family had been worried about her mental state last week, but said yesterday that she was “so far, so good”. Her son had initially asked the police for CCTV footage, declaring: “If no action is taken, I will take action.” But yesterday, he praised the professionalism of the investigators, and was preparing to help his mother readjust to life at home.

Deputy Prime Minister Tharman Shanmugaratnam, who is also MP for the area, knows Madam Khoo personally and has visited her in hospital. In response to claims that numerous complaints about that lift went unheeded, DPM Tharman reiterated that the town council should not “paper over problems”, but “take them very seriously”. He also promised continued support for Madam Khoo and her family.

related: Questions about that hand-severing lift in Jurong

read more


Maid rescued from lift that 'shot up 17 floors'

A maid suffered a 90-minute ordeal when she got stuck in a Housing Board lift which suddenly shot up 17 floors before trapping her inside.


Ms Evi Lisnawati, 36, was on her way to pick up her employer's children from a tuition centre when she entered the lift on the fifth floor of Block 317 in Ang Mo Kio Street 31 at about 7.15pm on Monday.


When it got to the ground floor, the lift door opened just 20 cm, then closed again. She pressed the "door open" button repeatedly, but to no avail and the lift then went up to the 3rd floor and stopped.

related:
AMK lift incident: Brakes were probably not functioning well, says examiner
Faulty lift at AMK HDB block shot up 17 floors, trapping maid for more than an hr
Probe into case of lift that shot up 17 floors


read more


BCA investigating Ang Mo Kio lift that shot up 17 floors

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and Ang Mo Kio Town Council (TC) are investigating an incident on Monday night (Mar 7) in which a lift shot up 17 floors, trapping a domestic helper for about 90 minutes.

The lift at Block 317, Ang Mo Kio Street 31 has been shut down in the meantime, as BCA officials and staff from the town council carry out probes at the site.

The maid, who was freed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) with the help of a lift technician, was reported to have fallen down, hitting her back on the floor. She declined to be taken to hospital, said the SCDF.

related: Elderly woman in stable condition after Tah Ching Road lift accident

read more

Malfunctioning lift moved rapidly throwing passenger to the floor
Shin Min Daily News reported the case of a malfunctioning elevator in block 317, Ang Mo Kio St 31

At about 7.15pm last night (7 Mar) a 36-year-old domestic worker who was to pick-up her employer’s two daughters from tuition, entered the lift. To her horror, once she entered the the lift at the 3rd floor, it moved rapidly up to the 20th floor, throwing the worker to the floor.


She was trapped in the lift for over an hour-and-a-half, until she was eventually rescued by the firemen from Singapore Civil Defence Force.

Despite being traumatised by the incident, she did not sustain visible injury. The worker has vowed never to take the lift again.

read more

Punggol HDB block's lift operation suspended due to faulty door panel

The Building and Construction Authority (BCA) on Sun (Jan 24) said it has suspended the operation of a lift at a Punggol HDB estate, after it was caught on video moving with the door partially open.


In a statement, BCA said it visited the site at 114 Edgefield Plains with representatives from Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council and the lift contractor.

The town council will be required to appoint an independent authorised examiner (AE) to inspect, test and certify that the lift is safe for use, said BCA. "The lift will only be allowed to resume operation when BCA receives the AE report and is satisfied with the findings," said the authority.

related:
Ang Mo Kio lift that shot up 17 floors reliable, seldom broke down: Residents
Punggol HDB block's lift operation suspended due to faulty door panel
Tah Ching Rd lift accident: Jurong Town Council launches probe 

read more


“Dangerous Fault” – Lift’s outer-door did not close at Pasir Ris-Punggol town council

“Never lean against elevator doors!” Ben Tng captions his video which shows the malfunction of a lift in a block of flats in Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council (PPTC).


Mr Tng writes on his Facebook that he called the town council’s 24-hour hotline at 7.25am, while sending his child to school, but when he came back at 9.00 am, the problem was still not fixed.

“Residents (in that block) were worried about (their) young children”, he said, expressing dissatisfaction at the lack of action by the town council one-and-a-half hours after his feedback on the malfunction.

read more


Pasir Ris Lift Opens at Random Floors, Displays “14” when there are Only 13 Floors!

Another lift in Pasir Ris is causing concerns for residents. This time, it’s Lift “A” at Block 581 Pasir Ris St 53.

According to residents, the lift will at times open at random floors even though the lift button for the floor isn’t pressed.

What’s more startling is the lift display will at times show the number “14” when there are only 13 floors in the block!

related:
Wheelchair-Bound Uncle Cracks his Skull and Dies after Pasir Ris Lift Malfunction
Lift Death Shows MP’s Careless and Shoddy Management of Pasir Ris-Punggol
Lifts at Sengkang Leak when it Rains, Residents Carry Umbrellas for Safety
AMK Lift Breaks Down & Suddenly Races Up 17 Floors with Maid Trapped Inside
[VIDEO] Lift in Punggol Moves with the Doors Still Unshut!
AMK Lift that Shot Up 17 Flrs Breaks Down At Least 3X More Despite Certification


read more


Church lift that killed woman did not meet minimum safety standards: BCA
Ms Abanes was killed & Madam Tay was injured by this lift in the Catholic Church of St Michael in May last year FOTO: ST FILE, FACEBOOK

A church lift which malfunctioned and killed a woman was not installed by an approved contractor and had never been maintained before the accident on May 16 last year.

In fact, the lift, for use of the elderly and disabled, did not meet minimum standards for safety.

These findings were revealed by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) during a coroner's inquiry yesterday into the death of Filipina maid Clarita Abanes, who was 46.

read more

related:
Spate of Indecent Behaviours
Spate of NUS molestation cases
Spate of fires linked to charging of PMDs
Spate of maid abuse cases
Spate of Mishaps at crown Jewel
Spate of Scoot 'flight disruptions'
Why is everything breaking down in Singapore?
Massive blackout across Singapore
A 'Sign of Distress' in Singapore?
Ensure structural safety of HDB blocks b4 injury or death result
SG Buildings Crumbling Down Parody
HDB Lift ceiling collapsed upon 10-yr-old girl
Elevator and Train Operate With 'Open Doors'
MRT from "Rolling Stock To Laughing Stock"
MRT breakdowns are Singapore’s cross to bear
Jinx @ JEM