Lift Design Requirements

In addition to the numerous changes to the working practices of all Lift Companies, the Regulations require certain additions to the lifts themselves. These are referred to as the Essential Health and Safety Requirements, EHSR's for short.

These are included, along with many other items, within the revised EN81 brought out to accompany the Regulations. The EHSR's are detailed in Schedule 1 of the Regulations.

The main additions are:

Lifts for use by unaccompanied disabled persons shall incorporate satisfactory controls and facilities and be dimensionally suitable.
Lift car communication device. A device shall be affixed within the lift car so that two way speech contact can be made with an emergency service.
An overload device shall prevent normal starting if the designed load is exceeded.
Devices must be provided to prevent uncontrolled upward movement of the lift car.
Automatic car and landing doors must be fitted with a device to prevent the risk of crushing passengers during closing.

In addition, the lift shall automatically and safely shut down after releasing passengers if the temperature of the machine room should exceed its designed maximum. This particular requirement, although specified in the Regulations, would appear to be an error. Both the Official Journal and EN81 refer to over temperature of the machine or hydraulic system and not the machine room itself.

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