Evacuation Lift Installers

Evacuation Lift Installation and Upgrading Passenger Lifts

An evacuation lift is used for safely removing people from multi-storey buildings in the event of a fire. Anyone who is unable to use the stairs without risk should be able to access a lift which remains operational in the event of an emergency. It is designed with specialist features that allow for evacuation as part of a managed plan.

Tower Lifts has been providing evacuation lift installation since 2006. Passenger lifts that have been assessed and considered suitable, can be upgraded for use as evacuation lifts. Where an upgrade has been applied, the lifts operate as normal except in the case of an emergency when they switch over to being used for evacuation purposes.

What is an Evacuation Lift?

Evacuation lifts are designed to assist in the safe evacuation of individuals who have limited mobility during emergency situations, forming an integral part of any evacuation plan. These lifts allow a designated team of one or two trained individuals to use the passenger lift for this purpose.

Typically, evacuation lifts are larger-capacity passenger lifts designed and enhanced with additional features and controls for evacuating disabled users, as well as patients in beds or on stretchers. They are commonly found in environments such as hospitals and large nursing homes, where the need for swift and efficient evacuation of individuals with limited mobility is of paramount importance.

An evacuation lift is defined by BS9991 and BS9999 as a ‘lift used as part of the evacuation sequence for persons with disability and persons requiring assistance, which has appropriate structural, electrical and fire protection and is capable of being taken under control by a trained and authorised person’.

It is worth noting that there are draft standards for BS EN 81-76 in the Public Comment stage and are scheduled to go to the Comment Resolution stage in August 2023. Whilst these may be used for reference purposes they are not currently in force.

Due to the specific lift features the Pit and Headroom requirements are often greater than required for a standard passenger lift and we would therefore recommend early consultation with the lift suppliers at the building design stage.

What are the features that make an Evacuation Lift?

Fire protection communication system. This system enables the evacuation team to use the lifts for evacuation purposes. It should establish communication between the lift car, the main fire service access level, and each landing floor refuge space.
The building design must adhere to the prescribed fire resistance standards for the lift shaft, lift machine room, lift landing area, and evacuation refuges. These areas need to be able to withstand the effects of fire and maintain their structural integrity during evacuation.
To ensure continuous operation, the evacuation lift is supplied with a secondary power supply also known as an ‘Uninterrupted Power Supply’. This power source should be separate from the primary supply; it’s usually either a standby generator or battery located in a fire-protected area. Reliability of power supplies and circuitry is crucial for the uninterrupted functioning of the evacuation lift.
Clearly marked switches identifying the lift as an Evacuation Lift with specified controls for the lift operation by a competent person.

Upgrading Existing Lifts For Use as Evacuation Lifts

Tower Lifts regularly upgrades existing lifts in order they can be used as evacuation lifts. This would normally be scheduled as part of a modernisation programme of works. The issues that most regularly prove a challenge to upgrading are the provision of secondary power, and the creation of refuge areas for people awaiting rescue.

The best way to find out whether your lift can be upgraded is to book a site visit. This allows us to take a close look at your lift provision and assess whether your building design will be able to provide the minimal level of protection and safety features for an evacuation lift.

Tower Lifts Installs Evacuation Lifts and Provides Passenger Lifts Upgrades

Tower Lifts installers work with architects, developers and building managers across the country to make residential and work spaces safer. We install new evacuation lifts in multi-storey buildings, assess existing passenger lifts and upgrade suitable lifts.

Tower Lifts is an ISO9001:2015 Lift Cert and UKAS approved company adhering to all current Lift Regulations.

To speak to a Tower Lifts engineer about an evacuation lift installation or arrange a site visit to assess an existing passenger lift, call us today on 01525 601099.

Tower Lifts installers provide a range of lift services 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