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Lifts Directive 95/16/EC

Subject Area

The Directive applies to lifts permanently serving buildings and constructions, and specified safety components.

Intention of legislation

To assist industry by harmonising the laws of Member States regarding the safe design, manufacture, installation and placing on the market of lifts and the supply of safety components, while ensuring high levels of protection for health and safety.

It defines the wide choice of procedures by which compliance with the provisions of the Directive must be demonstrated.

Coverage

Lifts for the purposes of the Directive are defined as appliances serving specific levels, having a car moving along guides which are rigid and inclined at an angle of more the 15 degrees to the horizontal and intended for the transport of persons, persons and goods, or goods alone but which persons could enter without difficulty and which have controls which are reachable by persons inside.

It also covers six categories of safety components listed in Annex IV of the Directive.

Specific kinds of lifts and lifting equipment are excluded from the Directive's application in Article 1(3).

Current Position

The Lifts Regulations (SI 1997/831) came into force on 1 July 1997 and became mandatory on 1 July 1999.

Current Issues

The need to ensure that the revisions to the CEN lift standard - EN81 - are ready in time. Clarifying the relative scope of the Lifts Directive (95/16/EC) and the Machinery Directive (98/37/EC) on lifting equipment and national legislation on builders' site hoists.

A guidance booklet in the our Product standards series of publications is available from the link on the right, and you can order a hard copy online via BERR Publications. You can also order a printed copy of the Transposed Harmonised Standards list.

Contact Graham Payne, Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform, Bay 384, 1 Victoria Street, London SW1H 0ET, Tel: 020 7215 0923 Fax: 020 7215 2635.