LIFTEX 2025 Show Director Oliver Greening explains the changes to lift management and maintenance requirements brought about by the Building Safety Act.
The Building Safety Act has brought about significant changes to lift management and maintenance requirements. Whether it’s housing blocks or civic centres, understanding these obligations when managing these portfolios of buildings with multiple lift systems is crucial for compliance and public safety.
Inspection requirements
Public sector building managers must implement a rigorous inspection regime for all lifts, in particular on lifts for the use of firefighters and evacuation lifts in higher-risk buildings (HRB). Routine monthly checks are now mandatory in England and must be conducted by the 'responsible person' – typically the facilities manager or designated building safety officer.
These monthly routine checks must include:
• evacuation lift – basis operational check
• lift for use by firefighters – basis operational check
• documenting all test results.
It is recommended that the following are also checked:
• testing manual recall functions
• verifying fire detection system interfaces
• secondary power supplies – e.g. simulating a power supply failure to check switchover to the secondary supply and that if a backup generator is used, it can operate lifts for a minimum of one hour.
Key Building Information – HRBs
Key Building Information (KBI) required by the Building Safety Regulator on the new registered HRBs includes information on the type and number of lifts provided for use by firefighters or for evacuation. Over many years the standards for these lifts have developed so there are several types (firemen’s lifts, firefighting lifts, firefighters lifts etc.) and these might need to be checked to identify which type.
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| Image: Liftex 2025 will be 11-12 June 2025 at ExCeL, London. |
Maintenance agreements
Lift maintenance agreements need to be carefully structured to ensure compliance while maintaining value for money. Key considerations include:
• Contract duration: Longer-term agreements (3-5 years) often prove more cost-effective, allowing contractors to invest in preventative maintenance and system improvements.
• Service levels: Agreements should specify response times for different scenarios, with particular attention to out-of-hours coverage for critical public buildings.
• Documentation: Comprehensive record-keeping requirements must be built into maintenance contracts, supporting the new 'golden thread' of building information.
Budget planning
• Develop multi-year maintenance budgets that account for both routine inspections and potential system upgrades.
• Consider shared service arrangements with neighbouring authorities for specialist lift inspection roles.
• Utilise framework agreements to secure competitive rates while ensuring contractor competency.
Managing ageing infrastructure
Many public buildings operate lifts installed over two decades ago. The Building Safety Act and its secondary legislation have implications where lifts in HRBs are modernised especially if the work affects
• passive fire safety measures such as fire-resistant lift landing doors;
• active fire safety measures such as the improvement of or upgrading to provide operation for use by firefighters or for evacuation.
Emergency planning
Public sector buildings often serve critical community functions, requiring robust emergency procedures. Establish clear protocols for lift failures, particularly in buildings serving vulnerable residents. It’s also essential to create dedicated emergency response teams with defined responsibilities. Most importantly, always ensure backup systems are regularly tested and maintained.
The forthcoming LIFTEX 2025 event (11-12 June 2025, ExCeL, London) will offer guidance on managing lifts, building safety, modernisation and regulations plus designing lifts for vulnerable people through its free seminar programme. Register here: www.liftexshow.com
This article was sponsored by Liftex.
