Advice on Existing Lifts in Multi-storey Housing

A helpful guide on the existing lifts in multi-storey housing developments and flats, from the different types of lifts, including fire-fighting lifts, to refurbishing existing lifts in tower blocks, we discuss it all in this insightful blog! Tower block lifts – history to the modern day Pre-war multi-storey housing developments were generally restricted to seven storeys before the days of elevators. Wealthy people lived on the ground floor and the poorest people lived on the top floor and so had to climb the most stairs. Social standing reversed with the advent of lifts, the penthouse being reserved for the wealthiest occupants. High-rise housing became the order of the day post-war and many of these developments still exist, refurbished, today. Lifts for apartments were key in the development of modern high-rise buildings as without them, moving to high floors by staircases would have been too arduous a task. As far back as the 1940s, the use of lifts with dedicated control features for firefighters was recognised in the UK and has been essential in high-rise buildings. We've had a British Standard for fire-fighting lifts since the 1980s. Today, there are estimated to be more than 50,000 operational lifts in UK housing, and it's likely that at least half of the lifts of these were installed more than 25 years ago (prior to the lift regulations that are in force today). As such, understanding the age of the lift and what regulations it adheres with, is key. 1. Keeping your lift up to standard Before modern lift regulations, lift design was a matter for architects, building design approval and customer requirement. Many high-rise tower blocks in the UK pre-date any nationally approved standard and may be laid out or function in unexpected ways. Therefore, it is the Lift Owner’s responsibility to ensure a lift service provider is appointed to manage the lift maintenance and to help highlight any new requirements of the latest standards. 1a. Is your lift a fire-fighting lift? As a default, all new passenger lifts are equipped to conform to British Standard EN81-73: Behaviour of lifts in the event of fire. This standard means the lift is connected to the fire-alarm system and in the event of a fire, will travel to the ground floor with its doors remaining open and no further calls taken. This enables all passengers of the lift to evacuate the building and fire-fighters to ensure there is no one trapped inside. This is different to a fire-fighting lift. Fire-fighting lifts are designed to have additional protection, with controls that enable it to be used under the direct control of the fire and rescue service in an effort to contain and eventually quell a fire. For housing, a fire-fighting lift is required if the building has a floor more than 18 metres above, or more than 10 metres below fire-service vehicle access level. British Standard EN81-72 compliant fire-fighting lifts feature trap doors and ladders for rescue operations, additionally electrical components in the shaft and on the car are protected against splashing water. Fire-fighting lifts have very specific safety requirements and the presence of fire-fighting controls within a lift does not necessarily mean that it is a fire-fighting lift.

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