Can a Passenger Lift be Upgraded For Use in a Fire?

Is Your Building Ready? How We Convert Passenger Lifts For Use in a Fire

We’re increasingly asked by building owners: can a passenger lift be upgraded for use in a fire? The answer is ‘yes’, but it involves much more than a software update. Under the latest Building Safety Act requirements, any adaptation must meet rigorous standards.

The process is complex, involving structural fire protection, secondary power systems, and specialist communication interfaces. It is an essential investment in life safety, but one that demands a comprehensive, highly engineered approach to succeed.

Tower Lifts is a specialist in both installing and adapting firefighter lifts. We have upgraded enough passenger lifts to know that every building has its own challenges, and we have the solutions to manage the vast majority of them. We focus on the details that matter – like water ingress protection and secondary supplies – so you can trust that your lift will perform when it is needed most.

The Technical Steps Required For Achieving BS 8899 Compliance

While the goal of passenger lift adaptation is safety, achieving it comes down to expert engineering. Upgrading an existing passenger lift to handle fire conditions requires a understanding of BS EN 81-72 principles applied through the BS 8899 code of practice. The Tower Lifts team prepares every component – from the motor to the intercom – for use in dangerous conditions.

The Technical Checklist:

• Fire-Rated Power Distribution – We install secondary power feeds with fire-resistant cabling (meeting BS 8519) to maintain vertical travel throughout an incident.
• Environmental Sealing (Water & Heat) – We protect your lift’s controller (its brain) and all its landing signals against water ingress and high-temperature failure.
• External Control Systems – We provide the fire service with a dedicated override, allowing them to bypass normal operations and use the lift as part of their operations.
• Emergency Communication Link – We establish a reliable, two-way speech link between the lift car and the fire service access point, a vital requirement for modern compliance.
• Shaft & Car Integrity Checks – We verify that your existing lift well provides the necessary fire separation to act as a safe firefighting shaft.

Is a Passenger Lift Replacement More Practical for Your Building?

A full lift replacement is a major construction project that involves quite a bit of disruption to your residents. For most apartment buildings, we recommend a BS 8899 adaptation because it keeps your building operating throughout. Our goal is always to bring your lift up to modern firefighting standards with as little disruption as possible for people who need to use it.

Key Comparisons to Consider:

• Structural Preservation – We use your existing lift shaft and motor room configuration, avoiding the need for expensive architectural changes.
• Phased Modernisation – Unlike a total replacement, we can often phase our work so that your building remains functional for as long as possible.
• Compliance – You achieve legal compliance with the Building Safety Act 2022 faster, mitigating your liability and insurance risks almost straight away.
• When to Replace – We would advise a full replacement if your lift is over 25 years old or has reached the point where it’s no longer possible to get parts for it.

Moving Forward – The Compliance Audit

Once you have decided a passenger lift upgrade is necessary, the next step is a technical assessment. The compliance audit will map your existing building infrastructure against BS 8899 and the Building Safety Act 2022. The aim is to identify which components – such as secondary power supply or water protection measures – are either fit for purpose or require engineering intervention.

Here’s What The Audit Involves:

1. Structural Shaft Integrity – we evaluate whether your existing lift well provides the fire-resistance required to function as a protected firefighting shaft.
2. Power & Control Systems – A detailed assessment of your building’s electrical distribution to determine the feasibility of a secondary change-over supply and fire-resistant cabling.
3. Interface Compatibility – We test your current lift controller to see if it can be re-programmed for ‘Fire Mode’ or if modernisation is necessary.
4. Environmental Risk Assessment – An analysis of potential water ingress points and heat exposure risks that could compromise the lift during an emergency.

Why Choose Tower Lifts for Your Fire Upgrade?

At Tower Lifts, all our lift upgrades are founded on industry standards, ensuring every technical adaptation we perform is as reliable as it is compliant. Our ISO 9001:2015 certification ensures your project is managed with total precision, while our adherence to ISO 45001 health and safety protocols keeps your building – and everyone in it – safe throughout the process.

Our commitment to high standards is backed by our membership in the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) and our status as a Constructionline-approved supplier.

Schedule Your Compliance Audit.
Contact us today to schedule a technical review of your lift systems and ensure your building meets the latest fire safety mandates – 01525 601099

Tower Lifts London lift team can design and install a varied range of lifts throughout the UK including:

Domestic Lifts • Food Lifts • Bespoke Platform Lifts • Service Lifts • Platform Lifts • Goods Lifts • Scenic Lifts • Heavy Duty / Car Lifts • Passenger Lifts • Dumbwaiter Lifts • MRL Lifts • Fire lifts • Residential Lifts • low-Headroom Lifts