RR1030 Assessment of the arm locking systems of two-post vehicle lifts

Following a number of instances of vehicles falling from two-post vehicle lifts, the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) became concerned that some lifts available for sale in the United Kingdom (UK) may not be fit for purpose due to inferior build quality and or design. A particular area of concern identified by HSE was the locking systems used to secure the carrying arms during lifting operations.

The purpose of this research was to investigate whether a selection of typical two-post vehicle lifts forming a cross-section of what was available on the UK market (at the time the research was instigated), complied with the requirements of paragraph four of section 5.9.5 in BS EN 1493:2010.

Only three out of the seven lifts tested met the requirements of paragraph four of section 5.9.5 of BS EN 1493:2010. Of these three, only one (out of five) used a gear and block locking system. The remaining two lifts (out of two) utilised an interlocking circular gears system.

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Updated 2021-04-15