The purpose of registering common property lifts and escalators is to impose a legal duty to ensure plant is inspected by a Competent Person and is safe to operate.
The person with management or control of the plant at a workplace must:
ensure that the maintenance, inspection and if necessary, testing of the plant is carried out by a competent person, and in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations (if any) or the recommendations of a competent person; and
keep a record of all tests, inspections, maintenance, commissioning, decommissioning, dismantling and alterations of the plant for the period that the plant is used, or until the person relinquishes control of the plant (regulation 237(2) and (3) of the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011 (WHS Regulation 2011)) and must make the record available for inspection.
The following types of ‘plant’ must be registered:[1]
Boilers categorised as hazard level A, B or C according to criteria in section 2.1 of AS 4343:2005 (Pressure equipment—Hazard levels);
Pressure vessels categorised as hazard level A, B or C according to the criteria in section 2.1 of AS 4343:2005 (Pressure equipment—Hazard levels), except—
gas cylinders; and
LP Gas fuel vessels for automotive use; and
serially produced vessels
Tower cranes including self-erecting tower cranes;
Lifts, escalators and moving walkways, except lifts stated in section 4(2) (being Lifts installed in a private residence within the meaning of AS 1735.1:2003 (Lifts, escalators and moving walks—General requirements) are excluded from section 3.4.);
Building maintenance units;
Amusement devices classified by section 2.1 of AS 3533.1:2009 (Amusement rides and devices—Design and construction), except devices and structures stated in section 4(3);
Concrete placing booms;
Mobile cranes with a maximum rated capacity of greater than 10t.
Exceptions apply to the above list of plant that must be registered (set out in full in footnote 2 below).[2]
The registration fees for lifts as at 18 April 2023 are accessible here: https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/licensing-and-registrations/plant-registration/costs-to-register-plant
Key definitions:
“Competent person” for lift inspections means – a person who has acquired through training, qualification or experience the knowledge and skills to carry out the task (Schedule 19 WHS Regulation 2011).
“Lift” means plant that is, or is intended to be, permanently installed in or attached to a structure, in which people, goods or materials may be raised or lowered within a car or cage, or on a platform and the movement of which is restricted by a guide or guides, and includes—
(a) a chairlift, escalator, moving walkway and stairway lift; and
(b) any supporting structure, machinery, equipment, gear, lift well, enclosures and entrances.
‘Private residence’ is defined in AS 1735.1.1:2022 Lifts, escalators and moving walks, Part 1.1: General requirements as a “separate dwelling and enclosed grounds, or separate apartment in a multiple dwelling that is occupied only by the members of a single family household unit”.
Note: The above information is provided as general information only as at 18 April 2023.
[1] Chapter 5, Part 2, regulation 246 & Part 2 of Schedule 5, Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011. [2] Exceptions: Part 2, Clause 4 of Schedule 5 of the WHS Regulation 2011 The items of plant listed in section 3 do not include— any pressure equipment (other than a gas cylinder) excluded from the scope of AS/NZS 1200:2000 (Pressure equipment); or Note— See section A1 of Appendix A to AS/NZS 1200:2000. (b) a crane or hoist that is manually powered; or (c) a reach stacker. (2) Lifts installed in a private residence within the meaning of AS 1735.1:2003 (Lifts, escalators and moving walks—General requirements) are excluded from section 3.4. (3) The following devices and structures are excluded from section 3.6— (a) an amusement ride or device classified as class 1 under section 2.1 of AS 3533.1:2009 (Amusement rides and devices—Design and construction); (b) playground structures; (c) water slides where water facilitates patrons to slide easily, predominantly under gravity, along a static structure; (d) wave generators where patrons do not come into contact with the parts of machinery used for generating water waves; (e) inflatable devices, other than inflatable devices (continuously blown) with a platform height of 3 metres or more.