MOT: Vehicle test centre closes over fault in car lifts

NI_Volvo_Nut

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Is it correct that all MOT testers are also qualified as driving test examiners? Maybe I am imagining things again
Not all but yes, some, it was cost cutting, the asked the TG1 grades to do it as well and vehicle examiners. Previously it was PTO / EO2 grade to be a driving examiner. This is the reason I didn't apply for it, more work, same money.
 

RCT

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One of my customers got a test date of 7th feb after being turned away today in Coleraine.

Id one up for 9.25 this morning but had to hit it down on a post it note and they’d contact me, but nothing yet.

Sure they were welding away at the ramp in coleraine last Friday morning and then again in the afternoon (one of my staff was over with cars for the test) so they knew something was up then.

I’ve another due up tomorrow so we’ll see what they say.
 

FM155

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They are a fairly complex lift with the moving plates and jacking platforms etc.
I'm sure the guys that service them get very little time to 'service' them and most of that time will focus on functioning of all the hydraulics and mechanisms rather than structural integrity.
Just doing a bit of digging, there are around 1.1 million vehicles on the road and roughly 75% of them are over 4 years old. So assuming there is around 550,000 cars, each of the 55 lifts goes up and down around 10,000 times a year. That's effing loads for any lift so I'm not surprised they are showing signs of fatigue.
 

neil#66

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londonderry
Some of the ramps were welded last week in various centres, but the cracks that appeared are in a different area. The plating put onto the ramps was to protect it from twisting should the cracks get worse. An assessor is going round each centre and checking every ramp as an individual. There has been 1 passed in Coleraine for work, the other 2 are unsafe (as far as I am aware)

Hopefully people will understand no test centre is going to try put on average 250 cars a day over one ramp, hence the reason for turning customers away, other centres may have more lifts which are deemed so appointments may be offered in a different centre in some cases.
 

Ben P

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Ack ballix. Ive a test in Coleraine tomorrow too. Suppose ill have to expect a last minute rejection
 

Michael M

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Surely the ramps are inspected on an annual basis? We have both the insurance and maintenance company doing annual inspections in work and anything that needs done gets attention ASAP
 

stevieturbo

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Antrim
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They are a fairly complex lift with the moving plates and jacking platforms etc.
I'm sure the guys that service them get very little time to 'service' them and most of that time will focus on functioning of all the hydraulics and mechanisms rather than structural integrity.
Just doing a bit of digging, there are around 1.1 million vehicles on the road and roughly 75% of them are over 4 years old. So assuming there is around 550,000 cars, each of the 55 lifts goes up and down around 10,000 times a year. That's effing loads for any lift so I'm not surprised they are showing signs of fatigue.

All the more reason for the MOT centres to have a proper inspection and maintenance program to catch things like this...long before they are at the stage they are currently at. Seems like a major breach of H&S there or just management incompetence.
 

stevieturbo

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Antrim
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Surely the ramps are inspected on an annual basis? We have both the insurance and maintenance company doing annual inspections in work and anything that needs done gets attention ASAP

Problem with a lot of inspections.....often it's a box ticking exercise, with little real inspection going on.

And a bit like car servicing on a yearly basis.....or MOT's themselves. Most people dont bother doing anything...or you leave a car into a dealer for a service, and all they do is at best change the oil and wash it and call that a service.
More often than not....they'll get away with it, and there wont be major problems.

The problems with these ramps havent happened overnight, whoever was doing any inspections...clearly was not doing a full inspection. But on a daily or weekly basis, these "competent and trained" MOT staff from mechanical backgrounds, should have picked up on the issues too at a much earlier stage.
They too have a responsibility and duty of care to look after equipment and report any issues.

It'll be interesting to see how all these re-tests etc are handled, and where peoples cars can no longer be driven legally due to this...where do they stand ?
 

Michael M

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Problem with a lot of inspections.....often it's a box ticking exercise, with little real inspection going on.

And a bit like car servicing on a yearly basis.....or MOT's themselves. Most people dont bother doing anything...or you leave a car into a dealer for a service, and all they do is at best change the oil and wash it and call that a service.
More often than not....they'll get away with it, and there wont be major problems.

The problems with these ramps havent happened overnight, whoever was doing any inspections...clearly was not doing a full inspection. But on a daily or weekly basis, these "competent and trained" MOT staff from mechanical backgrounds, should have picked up on the issues too at a much earlier stage.
They too have a responsibility and duty of care to look after equipment and report any issues.

It'll be interesting to see how all these re-tests etc are handled, and where peoples cars can no longer be driven legally due to this...where do they stand ?
From what I can see, their response is very much, we’re sorry but suck it up.
 

FM155

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I'm sure the guys servicing these get measured on the time taken to complete the inspection rather than getting it done right. Seems typical of northern Ireland, get it done cheap and itll do rightly until it all goes mammaries skywards. Then all these guys who are forcing down quality and safety based on price are nowhere to be seen.
 

stevieturbo

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You couldnt make it up LOLOLOLOL

 

FM155

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That's class, roadworthy test facilities out of action due to the lack of test-worthiness of their equipment.
Probably a direct result of trying to run the system beyond it's capacity.
 

stevieturbo

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Antrim
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Queue MOT price rise imminent lol

It's all very well them repairing the lifts...but you know they're going to have to replace them soon.
 

FM155

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Alfa 155
I think one of the BBC reports says that they will be replacing them all soon and that the repairs are temporary.
It will be interesting to see if the lifts were sold with a finite life in terms of cycles or not. That type of kit usually is designed with an infinite life by legislation so there might be a bit of checking on the sums or the materials / welding etc used. Quite a public failure for the lift supplier.
 

Eager

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fields
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broooooom
Queue MOT price rise imminent lol

It's all very well them repairing the lifts...but you know they're going to have to replace them soon.

An extra fiver wouldn’t bother me, once a year. I don’t mind the mot process at all here, it’s a good chance for a independent once over and I’ve never had any issues with testers. It does keep a reasonable standard of cars on the road and we all share that space.its the owners and lack of care/maintenance until it’s mot day that is an issue.
 
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