Summary of

British Standard Institutions EN 81-20

(Please note that it had been planned to withdraw BS EN 81-2 on 31 August 2017 but at
the time of writing this has not yet happened - we will update this article in due course).
The new standards aim to improve accessibility, safety and comfort, lift passengers and
those required to service installations. The standards also make stipulations in terms of
building design and interface.
Both standards are regulated by the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).
What do the regulations mean for passenger safety?
The standards contain a number of requirements with the aim of improving passenger
safety. These include:
Movement and speed
• Required protection against the risk of an ascending lift car over speeding has
now been extended to cover rescue situations.
• Enhanced requirements have been stipulated in relation to the protection
mechanism to mitigate the risk of the lift car moving away from the landing.
Door detection systems
• A non-contact detection system designed to prevent doors closing if an
obstruction is detected (a 'curtain of light') is required to reduce the risk of doors
making contact with passengers entering or exiting the lift car. Mechanisms
based on photocell technologies will not be compliant with the new requirements.
Car door locking mechanism
• To prevent trapped passengers falling into the lift shaft when attempting escape
from a stopped lift car a mechanism is required to prevent car doors being
opened from inside when the car is outside the unlocking zone (in line with the
landing doors).
Fire classification for lift car materials
• Materials used for car floors, walls and ceilings have been updated and must
now meet fire classification requirements stipulated in EN 13501-1. Minimum
classifications are:

o Ceilings: C, s2 and d0
o Floors: Cfl, s2
o Walls, C, s2, d1
Here C and Cfl refer to 'reaction to fire' classification and s and d refer to the
classification of materials with regard to smoke and formation of flaming droplets
and particles respectively)
Lift strength
• Car and landing doors and car walls must now meet updated strength
requirements. Doors must include retainers to keep the door panels in place if
the guiding elements malfunction.
• Car and landing doors must be able to withstand impact force equivalent to a
person colliding with the door at running speed. Car walls must be able to
withstand the equivalent force to a person pushing against them.
• Lift walls (including those made of glass) must withstand shock to ensure the
integrity of the structure (a rigid pendulum with 0.5m drop height must withstand
a 10kg shock, a soft pendulum with 0.7m drop height must withstand a shock of
45kg).
Car lighting
• The standard requires higher lighting levels in both the lift car and shaft. In car
lighting should provide illumination of 100 lux (was 50 lux) with emergency
illumination of 5 lux for one hour (was 1W for one hour). Lighting should be
placed at a height of 1m in the centre of the car close to emergency push
buttons.
Evacuation
• The lift car roof safety hatch should be 0.4m x 0.5, with the toe guard able to
withstand 300N without permanent deformation of 1mm and elastic demormation
of 35mm (minimum).
EN 81-20 & 81-50 – 2014 Summary by Wittur:
1. Doors Stricter requirements for the strength of landing and car doors.
2. Cars for the fi rst time requirements for strength of car walls.
3. Slings/frames Protection for diverting pulleys.
4. Safeties Specific requirements for safety components and UCM-devices.
5. Polyurethane/Hydraulic buffers New defi nition for requirements for buffers with
consideration of maximum
peak retardation.
6. Electrical Drives New requirements for brake systems, rope calculations and
formulas for the traction
calculation.
7. Hydraulic Drives New requirements for rupture valves, jacks and hydraulic units.