Elevator & Escalator Installation Inspection

Per EN 81-20 Clause 5.2, the lift shaft must be enclosed by imperforate walls, floor, and ceiling, and must be used exclusively for the lift. The shaft must provide adequate clearances — minimum 0.50 m refuge space above and below the car per EN 81-20 Clause 5.2.1. The machine room or machine space must comply with EN 81-20 Clause 6.3, with minimum dimensions for safe access and maintenance, adequate ventilation, lighting (minimum 200 lux), and a temperature range of 5–40 °C. Fire resistance of the shaft enclosure must meet the building's fire strategy requirements.

1. Verify that the shaft is fully enclosed with imperforate walls and is not used for any purpose other than the lift per EN 81-20 Clause 5.2

2. Measure the pit depth and headroom clearances to confirm minimum refuge spaces of 0.50 m are achieved per EN 81-20 Clause 5.2.1

3. Inspect the machine room for adequate access, minimum dimensions, and confirm lighting is at least 200 lux per EN 81-20 Clause 6.3

4. Check machine room ventilation and confirm temperature can be maintained within 5–40 °C under operating conditions

5. Verify that the shaft enclosure fire resistance rating matches the building fire strategy

- Shaft used for routing of services unrelated to the lift (pipes, cables for other systems)

- Insufficient pit depth or headroom, preventing minimum refuge space requirements from being met

- Machine room ventilation inadequate, causing overheating of drive equipment in summer conditions

- Fire resistance of shaft doors not matching the required rating for the shaft enclosure

Per EN 81-20 Clause 5.7, guide rails must be of adequate strength to withstand the forces applied during safety gear operation and normal running. Rail brackets must be fixed to the shaft structure at intervals not exceeding the design specification per EN 81-50 Clause 5.10. The car must comply with EN 81-20 Clause 8, with walls of adequate strength, a ventilation area of at least 1 % of the car floor area, and minimum lighting of 100 lux at floor level. Car dimensions must provide the clear area required for the rated load per EN 81-20 Table 1.

1. Verify guide rail alignment using a plumb line — rails must be vertical within the tolerances specified in EN 81-20 Clause 5.7

2. Check rail bracket fixings for security and correct spacing per the installation design

3. Confirm rail joints are aligned and smooth to prevent shock loading of the car and counterweight during travel

4. Inspect the car interior for minimum lighting of 100 lux, ventilation openings of at least 1 % of floor area, and correct dimensional compliance per EN 81-20 Table 1

5. Verify car wall and floor strength by checking the material and construction against EN 81-20 Clause 8

- Guide rail misalignment causing excessive vibration and uneven wear on guide shoes or rollers

- Rail brackets inadequately fixed to the shaft structure, particularly in masonry shafts with weak fixings

- Car ventilation openings blocked or undersized, leading to inadequate air circulation

- Car interior lighting below the minimum 100 lux, particularly in goods passenger lifts

Per EN 81-20 Clause 5.3, landing doors must be imperforate up to a height of at least 2.0 m, fire rated to match the shaft enclosure requirements, and fitted with an electromechanical interlock that prevents the car from moving unless all landing doors are closed and locked. Door closing force must not exceed 150 N at the point of obstruction per EN 81-20 Clause 5.3.6. Car doors must be provided and must be fitted with a door reopening device (light curtain or mechanical detector) per EN 81-20 Clause 8.7. The gap between closed landing and car doors must not exceed 120 mm.

1. Verify that all landing doors are at least 2.0 m high, imperforate, and fire rated per EN 81-20 Clause 5.3

2. Test the electromechanical interlocks on each landing door to confirm the car cannot run unless all doors are closed and locked

3. Measure door closing force using a force gauge — must not exceed 150 N at the point of obstruction per EN 81-20 Clause 5.3.6

4. Test the car door reopening device (light curtain or mechanical edge) for correct operation across the full door height

5. Measure the gap between closed landing and car doors at each floor — must not exceed 120 mm per EN 81-20

- Door interlocks worn or misadjusted, allowing the car to move with doors not fully locked

- Door closing force exceeding 150 N, posing an entrapment hazard to passengers

- Door reopening device not covering the full door height, leaving blind spots near the floor or above head height

- Excessive gap between landing and car doors due to misalignment, creating a finger-trap or fall hazard

Per EN 81-20 Clause 9, lifts must be equipped with an overspeed governor and safety gear capable of stopping and holding the car at any load up to rated load. The overspeed governor must trip at a speed not exceeding 115 % of rated speed per EN 81-20 Clause 9.9.1. Buffers must be provided in the pit for both the car and counterweight per EN 81-20 Clause 5.8. An unintended car movement protection device must be fitted per EN 81-20 Clause 9.11. The car must have an emergency communication system (two-way voice) compliant with EN 81-28.

1. Verify the overspeed governor is correctly calibrated and trips at the speed specified on the data plate per EN 81-20 Clause 9.9

2. Inspect the safety gear mechanism for correct mounting, lubrication, and freedom of movement

3. Check car and counterweight buffers for correct type (energy accumulation or energy dissipation) and condition per EN 81-20 Clause 5.8

4. Verify the unintended car movement protection device is installed and functional per EN 81-20 Clause 9.11

5. Test the emergency communication system per EN 81-28 to confirm two-way voice communication reaches a rescue service

- Overspeed governor rope tension incorrect, potentially delaying or preventing activation of safety gear

- Buffers damaged or with hydraulic oil leaks in energy-dissipation type buffers

- Unintended car movement protection not fitted or not functional on older modernised installations

- Emergency communication system unreliable due to poor GSM signal or disconnected phone line

Per EN 81-20 Clause 13, the electrical installation must comply with HD 60364 series. A main switch must be provided in the machine room or machine space that disconnects all supply conductors per EN 81-20 Clause 13.4.1. The control system must incorporate safety circuits that meet the requirements of EN 81-20 Clause 14 for safety-related parts of control systems (SIL or PL rating). Emergency lighting in the car must operate automatically on supply failure and maintain a minimum of 5 lux for at least 1 hour per EN 81-20 Clause 8.17.

1. Verify the main switch is accessible in the machine room, correctly labelled, and disconnects all supply conductors per EN 81-20 Clause 13.4.1

2. Inspect the wiring and cable management in the control panel for compliance with HD 60364 including cable identification and termination

3. Verify that safety circuits achieve the required SIL or PL rating per EN 81-20 Clause 14 and that safety relays are type-approved

4. Test emergency lighting in the car for automatic operation on supply failure and confirm minimum 5 lux for at least 1 hour

5. Check earthing and bonding of the lift installation including rails, car frame, and machine per HD 60364-5-54

- Main switch not clearly labelled or not accessible without obstruction in the machine room

- Safety circuit wiring modified from the original design without re-verification of the SIL or PL rating

- Emergency car lighting batteries degraded and unable to maintain the required 1-hour duration

- Earth bonding connections to guide rails loose or missing, creating an electric shock hazard

Per EN 115-1, escalators must have a rated speed not exceeding 0.75 m/s for an inclination up to 30°, and 0.50 m/s for inclinations between 30° and 35°. Step/pallet width must be between 0.58 m and 1.10 m per EN 115-1 Clause 5.3.2. Balustrades must be provided on both sides with handrails synchronised to the step speed within ±2 % per EN 115-1 Clause 5.6. Combplates must be provided at landings with comb-step gap not exceeding 6 mm. Emergency stop buttons must be located at both landings, clearly identified and accessible per EN 115-1 Clause 5.12.

1. Measure the escalator speed using a tachometer and verify it does not exceed 0.75 m/s (or 0.50 m/s for inclinations over 30°) per EN 115-1

2. Check handrail speed synchronisation with step speed — handrail must be within ±2 % of step speed per EN 115-1 Clause 5.6

3. Inspect combplate engagement with step treads and verify comb-step gap does not exceed 6 mm at either landing

4. Test both emergency stop buttons for correct operation — escalator must stop within the deceleration limits of EN 115-1 Clause 5.12

5. Verify step demarcation lines are visible and skirt deflector devices are fitted at both sides per EN 115-1

- Handrail speed not synchronised with step speed, causing passengers to be pulled forward or backward

- Combplate teeth broken or worn, allowing gaps exceeding 6 mm that could trap footwear or clothing

- Emergency stop buttons obstructed or not clearly identified, delaying shutdown in emergencies

- Step demarcation lines worn off, reducing visual guidance for passengers standing on steps

Per EN 81-20 Clause 17, all lifts must undergo a thorough examination and test before being placed into service. Tests must include full-load and 125 % overload tests, safety gear dynamic test, buffer test, overspeed governor test, and verification of all safety functions per EN 81-50. The lift must be certified by a notified body as conforming to the Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU and carry the CE marking. Escalators must be tested per EN 115-1 Clause 7 including step chain tension, brake test, and safety device verification, and must comply with the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC.

1. Verify that full-load and 125 % overload tests have been carried out and results documented per EN 81-20 Clause 17

2. Confirm the safety gear dynamic test has been performed and that the car was stopped within the permitted deceleration range per EN 81-50

3. Check that the overspeed governor tripping speed has been verified on a test bench or in-situ per the manufacturer's instructions

4. Verify CE marking and Declaration of Conformity for the lift (Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU) or escalator (Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC)

5. Confirm all test certificates, commissioning records, and the technical file are complete and available to the building owner

- Safety gear test not performed due to reluctance to subject new equipment to dynamic testing

- Overload test incomplete or carried out at less than the required 125 % of rated load

- CE marking applied without a complete technical file or Declaration of Conformity from a notified body

- Commissioning records incomplete, with individual test results missing or not signed by a competent person