FEATURED ARTICLE
Specifying a lift: A supplier’s perspective by Oliver King Director, PR King & Sons
W
ith accessibility needs changing in both residential and commercial settings, being on the front foot counts for everything. Oliver King who heads up P. R. King & Sons, a fourth generation family business knows that compliance and quality are paramount for a lift company to thrive, in the fast paced lift and accessibility sector. P. R. King & Sons have a rich history of helping people in and out of buildings. In the summer of 1952, a friend of Lindsay and Alex King who
lived in Vaucluse reached out. He had lost a leg in WW2 and found the steep stairs on the property difficult and painful. He thought that his friends, Lindsay and Alex King, from P. R. King & Sons might be able to help. Lindsay and Alex immediately went to work and were inspired by the Swiss and their rack railways used to climb the incredibly steep slopes of the Alps. They engineered a method to carry their friend up and down his property. What they didn't expect was that his neighbours would want one on their property. This demand spawned what would become the Inclinator™.
THE INCLINATOR When specifying a lift to suit a particular purpose or environment, as with any piece of mechanical equipment, one of the first questions is reliability. This question becomes particularly poignant if a platform lift is being installed outside, or next to the ocean. Much like a vehicle, if the equipment is maintained as per the manufacturers’ recommendations (as per the Work Health and Safety Regulation 2011) the lift, platform lift or Inclinator should provide no problems. However, they are often purchased as a set and forget item, which they are not. This can create a stigma of unreliability across the whole sector. Anyone considering a product of this nature must consider the following items: • Is it fit for purpose? ° Is it suitable for an outdoor environment? ° Is it suitable for a high saline or high chlorine environment?
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THE MAGAZINE FOR THE ASSOCIATION OF CONSULTANTS IN ACCESS AUSTRALIA
