Lift engineers, also known as lift technicians, install, refurbish, service and repair electrical traction and hydraulic lift equipment. They work for specialist lift maintenance and building services companies, local authorities, hospitals and educational institutions. They deal with all types of lifts, including:

• passenger, goods and service lifts – found in offices, hotels, railway stations and airports
• loading platforms and scissor lifts - used to load/unload and move materials, machinery and products around a factory floor, storage depot or port
• stairlifts – used for mobility around the house and access to building entrances
• vehicle mounted – used in personal and commercial transport
• ceiling track hoists – used by carers to aid patient mobility in domestic households, nursing homes and health centres
• dumb waiters – used to transfer food in hotels and restaurants
• escalators – found in shopping centres, transport terminals and offices.

Lift engineers may also be involved in lift design, using CAD software to produce bespoke products, for example, panoramic lifts (lifts with glass panels) often found in an atrium or on the outside of a building.

Typical duties for lift engineers include:

Planned Preventive Maintenance (PPM) – carrying out scheduled routine inspections and checks on electrical equipment, gears, hydraulics, drive systems, motors, overload detection devices, brakes, doors and locks; diagnosing defects and carrying out minor repairs; making recommendations and arrangements to deal with more serious repairs.

Emergency call out – responding to out-of-hours breakdowns; carrying out repairs or isolating problems until a fuller service can be done.

Installation – commissioning and fitting out lifts, lifting gear, lift wells and ancillary equipment; and demonstrating equipment operation.

Surveys – undertaking inspection and assessment of existing lift equipment to ensure compliance with relevant legislation and directives, including Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), Disability Discrimination Act 1995 (in relation to equal access to goods, services and facilities) and Lifts Guidelines (LG1) *; making recommendations for modifications or new installations; and producing quotes for jobs.

Refurbishment – replacing or upgrading lift interiors, such as flooring, panel displays, communication systems, buttons, lighting and finishes.

Administration – updating work records both written and computerised; analysing call out patterns or trends to identify and isolate defects, and to anticipate future problems; produce inspection and risk assessment reports, and documentation on all jobs for insurance and legal purposes.

* Note: see the Safety Assessment Federation in Further Information for details about regulations.

Hours and Environment

Lift engineers work 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday. Overtime is common and many engineers work on a call-out rota covering 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Engineers travel from site to site and conditions will depend on the type of building housing the lift equipment. Work can be oily, dirty and hot, and engineers may have to work in confined spaces, particularly on older systems.

The employer usually provides the engineer with a company vehicle and uniform. A driving licence is normally essential.

Skills and Interests

As a lift engineer, you should:

• have an aptitude for electrical and/or mechanical work
• have excellent troubleshooting skills
• be able to understand engineering drawings and principles
• have good communication and customer care skills
• be able to plan and organise workloads
• be able to work without close supervision
• be computer literate for updating records and writing reports (and familiar with CAD packages if involved in design work)
• be willing to work flexibly
• be fully aware of statutory requirements and industry guidelines regarding health and safety, and inspections.

Entry

Most lift engineers have experience and/or qualifications in mechanical or electrical engineering. Some companies may employ you if you can demonstrate knowledge of these fields. One way to do this is to do a college course in an engineering discipline. Relevant courses include:

• BTEC National Certificates and Diplomas in Mechanical, Electrical, Electronic, or Operations and Maintenance Engineering, and Building Services Engineering
• City & Guilds awards in Electrotechnical Technology (2330) at levels 2 and 3; Applying Engineering Principles (6983) levels 1 and 2; and Engineering: Installation Commissioning and Maintenance (2800) Level 3.

Colleges throughout the country offer these courses. People already working as technicians can do these, as well as those wishing to take up a career as an engineering technician. Check with local colleges for details.

An option for young people is to train as a technician apprentice in engineering. Most apprentices start at 16 to 19, but entry may be possible up to 24 (see Training section for contacts). You will need four GCSEs (A-C)/S grades (1-3), such as maths, English, science, engineering, design and technology or appropriate equivalents.

There are also higher level awards, such as Edexcel (BTEC) Higher National Certificate/Diploma in Mechanical, Electrical and Electronic Engineering. Check with colleges and universities for more details.

For information about lift engineering as a career, contact SEMTA or see the Lift & Escalator Industry Association's website in Further Information.

Training

Once employed, you receive on-the-job training. There is a range of work-based awards available for those working in this field, including NVQ/SVQ Installation and Commissioning, and Engineering Maintenance and Installation at levels 2 and 3. These have pathways in:

• lift (traction and hydraulic) and escalator installation, repair and service
• stairlift installation and servicing
• service lift installation and servicing.

The University of Northampton offers the Foundation Degree in Lift Engineering via distance learning for those employed in the industry. For senior engineers and managers, they also offer a postgraduate MSc in Lift Engineering, which covers advanced technical issues, lift design, legislation and contract management. Contact the University of Northampton for more details.

Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more about these, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland

Opportunities

Prospects for qualified staff are good, as a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sector employ lift engineers.

With experience and further training, there may be opportunities to progress to supervisory management, technical sales or engineering design roles. Skilled engineers at technician level are widely sought after in other industries, such as manufacturing and engineering construction, so there may be scope to move into related fields.

Other options include training and assessment, or safety inspection, either within a company or as a freelance contractor.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

Starting salaries are between £14,000 and £18,000 a year.
Experienced engineers can earn between £19,000 and £26,000.
Senior engineers can earn up to £30,000 a year.

Further information

Nutmeg House
60 Gainsford Street
Butlers Wharf
London
SE1 2NY
Tel: 020 7403 0987 Admissions: 0800 358 2232 14 Upton Road
Watford
Hertfordshire
WD18 0JT
Tel: 0800 282 167 33 / 34 Devonshire Street
London
W1G 6PY