Changes to UK Law Regarding Fire Regulations: Backup Power Required for Evacuation Lifts

These changes have now had a knock on effect on how evacuation lifts are both governed and powered.

In the spate of changes introduced, an automatic standby generator system may be required by individual building codes for critical safety systems such as elevators in high-rise buildings, fire protection systems, standby lighting, or medical and life support equipment.

Lifts for evacuation use (like hospital and hotel lifts) are now required by law to have their own independent backup power supply, usually and most ably sourced in the form of a standby generator. 

This is an additional requirement to what is already a need in most cases to provide backup power for an entire site-wide power failure.

A lift for evacuation use now must meet BS 9999 Annex G (fire regulations) and these lifts are intended to give priority for the evacuation of disabled persons when stairs are not an option. They allow the building management to evacuate disabled persons as the individual disabled person is not permitted to evacuate themselves. 

In the event of a power outage, an alternative power supply is required - this can be a standby generator. 

Cables for the alternative power supply should be separated from cables for the primary supply and should be routed through a low risk fire area. 

These power supplies should also be protected from fire for the same period as that given to the refuge area, i.e. 30 minutes. 

The lift in question must be provided with communication from the main floor to the car and to the machinery room. 

As a result of these new changes to UK legislation, we are seeing a rise in the number of sales of backup power supply, mainly in 3-phase generator sets and systems, but we have also supplied single phase where needed. 

We can supply a back up generator to cover you in such an event.

A standard evacuation lift can run on a generator from little as 11kVA up to a 100kVA, depending on the lift requirements. 

To discuss with us further, call our sales team on 01437 700123.