Tower Lifts
Tower Lifts
Reduced Pit and/or Headroom Passenger Lifts
BS EN 81-21 Compliance – Engineering Low Pit and Low Headroom Lifts Around Site Constraints
Excavating a traditional 1100mm lift pit isn’t always an option for our clients, particularly if they’re managing heritage retrofits or urban basements. Structural constraints, active utility lines, or underlying geological conditions often dictate your shaft dimensions. Tower Lifts overcomes these restrictions by engineering reduced pit and/or headroom passenger lifts that operate safely within constrained envelopes.
If your site is unable to accommodate standard clearances, our traction systems adapt down to a 250mm pit depth and 2650mm headroom without compromising the standard 0.15m/s operating speed.
Securing DBT Derogation – We Deal With the Regulators
Shaving millimetres off a lift shaft means you start playing by a different set of rules. Under BS EN 81-21, any deviation from standard clearances requires an official green light – this involves a derogation application submitted to the Department of Business and Trade (DBT).
The paperwork involved in a derogation application can slow a project down, but we ensure that it doesn’t. The Tower Lifts team will compile the structural evidence, package up the engineering blueprints, and handle the back-and-forth communication with the DBT to secure your compliance certificates so you can proceed with installation.
New Build Restrictions and the Prior Approval Rule
There are two hard boundaries the DBT draws that you need to map into your project timeline. First, this requires prior approval. We cannot break ground, cut steel, or deliver components to your site until that derogation certificate is physically signed and in our hands.
Second, the BS EN 81-21 standard is strictly for existing buildings and retrofits. If you are designing a brand-new build, the regulators will almost always reject a low-pit application. They expect you to design the structure properly from day one to fit a standard 1100mm pit. They don’t care about architectural aesthetics or cost-saving; you have to prove it is a physical or legal impossibility to dig deeper.
Technical FAQs – Clear Answers on Low-Pit Engineering
When you’re managing a tight architectural footprint, a few millimetres can change the entire scope of the build. Here are the straight answers to the four mechanical and regulatory questions our design team gets asked most often.
You can use both. While older low-headroom installations relied heavily on hydraulic rams, modern setups favour Machine Room-Less (MRL) traction systems. We mount the compact drive motor directly inside the shaft headroom, completely eliminating the need for an external plant room. The choice depends entirely on your structural overhead space and travel distance.
No. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) explicitly states that economic preference is not a legal justification. If you apply for a derogation simply because digging an 1100mm pit is too expensive or inconvenient, your application will be rejected. You must prove a physical or legal barrier exists – such as structural foundations, active underground water tables, or archaeological restrictions.
No. The DBT derogation is absolutely tied to the physical asset and the specific building address, not the owner. Once the certificate is issued, it forms a permanent part of the lift’s legal technical file and Declaration of Conformity. It stays valid for the entire operational life of the equipment, regardless of property transfers.
Under BS EN 81-28, all passenger lifts must have an operational two-way rescue communication system. Because traditional copper analogue phone lines have been phased out across the UK, we equip our low-pit units with digital GSM gateways. These units use a dedicated SIM card to connect directly to mobile networks, ensuring emergency calls clear the shaft even if the building loses primary power.
Why Choose Tower Lifts?
Tight spaces require proven engineering. Tower Lifts brings over a decade of specialised installation experience to challenging UK projects. Backed by ISO 9001 quality management, ISO 45001 safety standards, and full LEIA membership, we deliver certified compliance where standard lifts fail to fit.
Talk directly to a specialist today on 01525 601099 to solve your site’s dimensional challenges.
Tower Lifts carry out design and installation on 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