News from the world of standardisation

The accessibility of existing lifts and the improvement of protective measures against vandalism - there is news from the world of standardisation on these topics. A summary.

By Jan König

New standard for existing lifts

The draft of DIN EN 81-82 has been published. The new standard is intended to regulate the accessibility of lifts to persons, including persons with disability.

The draft of EN 81-82:2023 "Rules for the improvement of the accessibility of existing lifts to persons including persons with disability" was published by CEN in June 2023. In Germany, it was implemented as a draft issued in July 2023 as DIN EN 81-82:2023. Objections were possible up to 26 July 2023.

Relevance

The standard provides rules on how EN 81-20:2020 and EN 81-70:2021+A1:2022 can be applied to existing lifts. The aim is to improve accessibility and usability for people in general, including persons with disability.

It specifies the general requirements for accessibility, which can be found in EN 81-80:2019, Annex A, Table A.1, no. 1.1. EN 81-70:2018, which is referred to in EN 81-80:2019, has been replaced by EN 81-70:2021+A1:2022. The document applies to permanently installed lifts, which serve defined stops and which have a car designed for the transport of persons or persons and goods.

Changes

Compared to DIN EN 81-82:2013-12 the following changes have been made:

1. The methodology for the detection of access barriers (previous subsection A.1), the evaluation of the effectiveness of measures (previous Table A.1) and references to the use of the checklist for accessibility (previous subsection A.2) have been moved to subsection 5.3 or 5.4;
2. All the technical requirements for protective measures have been integrated in the checklist in the normative Annex A, which now combines the previous section 5 and previous checklist in Annex B, Table B.2. This combination avoids the duplication of technical requirements in the document and simplifies its use;
3. All references to protective measures have been updated to EN 81-20:2020 and EN 81-70:2021+A1:2022.

Additional links:
• Table of contents prDIN EN 81-82:2023
• prDIN EN 81-82:2023 at Beuth
• Technical Committee CEN/TC 10 "Lifts, escalators and moving walks"

New standard against vandalism

Another draft standard was published in July. The draft of DIN EN 81-83 regulates the improvement of protective measures against vandalism.

The draft of EN 81-83:2023 "Rules for the improvement of the resistance against vandalism" was published by CEN in June 2023. The draft of DIN EN 81-83:2023 was implemented in Germany in July 2023. Objections were also possible here up to 26 July 2023.

Relevance

The standard regulates how EN 81-71:2022 is to be applied to existing lifts to improve protective measures against vandalism. It specifies the general rules for resistance against vandalism, as laid out in EN 81-80:2019, Annex A, Table A.1, no. 1.2. EN 81-70:2018, which is referred to in EN 81-80:2019, has been replaced by EN 81-71:2022 without technical changes.

The reference to category 0 has been removed. The draft applies to permanently installed lifts, which serve defined stops and which have a car designed for the transport of persons or persons and cargo.

Changes

The following changes were made compared to DIN CEN/TS 81-83:2010-02:

1.  Conversion from a technical specification to a European standard;
2. The methodology for detecting risks and selecting the measures to reduce risks by priority levels (previous Annex A) has been moved to section 5;
3. All the technical requirements for protective measures have been integrated in the checklist in the normative Annex A, which now combines the previous section 5 and previous checklist. this combination avoids the duplication of technical requirements in the document and simplifies its use;
4. All references to protective measures have been updated to EN 81-71:2022.

Additional links:
• Table of contents prDIN EN 81-83:2023
• prDIN EN 81-83:2023 at Beuth
• Technical Committee CEN/TC 10 "Lifts, escalators and moving walks"

Various standards in the EN 81 series have been harmonised.

Harmonisation under the Machinery Directive

In July 2023, numerous European standards - also from the EN 81 series - were harmonized. They were published in the Official Journal of the European Union L 194 on July 26.

Among others, these are

• EN 81-3:2000+A1:2008 (Electric and hydraulic service lifts),
• EN 81-31:2010 (Accessible goods only lifts),
• EN 81-40:2020 (Stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms intended for persons with impaired mobility),
• EN 81-41:2010 (Vertical lifting platforms intended for use by persons with impaired mobility), and
• EN 81-43:2009 (Lifts for cranes).

Relevance

As a result of this legal instrument, application of these standards triggers a presumption of conformity to the effect that the essential health and safety requirements of the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC have been met.

Harmonisation under the Lift Directive

Numerous European standards in the EN 81 series were harmonised in August 2023. It was published on 21 August in the Official Journal of the European Union L 206.

This involves

• EN 81-21:2022 (New passenger and goods passenger lifts in existing buildings),
• EN 81-28:2022 (Remote alarm for passenger and goods passenger lifts)
• DIN EN 81-58:2022 (Landing doors fire resistance test),
• EN 81-70:2021 + A1:2022 (Accessibility to lifts for persons, including persons with disability), and
• EN 81-77:2022 (Lifts subject to seismic conditions)

Relevance

As a result of this legal instrument, application of these standards triggers a presumption of conformity to the effect that the essential health and safety requirements of the Lift Directive 2014/33/EU have been met.

Additional links:
• Official Journal of the European Union L 194
• Official Journal of the European Union L 206
• Technical Committee CEN/TC 10 "Lifts, escalators and moving walks"

The author is the proprietor of the engineering firm (VDI) Ing4Lifts.

More information: ing4lifts.de