As duty holders under the Building Safety Act, FMs face increased responsibilities for overseeing lift safety and ensuring compliance with enhanced regulatory frameworks. LIFTEX Event Director Oliver Greening explains

With increasing scrutiny from regulatory bodies and stricter building safety requirements, FMs must ensure they comply with both existing and new legislation to avoid intentional and unintentional safety breaches.

Lift safety in higher-risk buildings (HRBs) has become increasingly critical following the Grenfell disaster. The proper maintenance and operation of lifts are essential not only for daily building operations, but also for emergency response and evacuation procedures. Non-compliant lift systems can lead to serious safety risks, potential injuries, and in worst-case scenarios, fatalities.

Various pieces of legislation offer guidance, including The Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005 (applies in England and Wales). In Scotland it’s The Fire Safety Regulations 2006 and in Northern Ireland the Fire Safety Regulations 2010. In addition, new Fire Safety (England) Regulations (FSER) builds on the RR(FS)O with checks of lifts for use by firefighters and evacuation lifts in HRBs. There is Key Building Information (KBI) that must be included for all HRBs (including information on lifts).

WHAT NON-COMPLIANCE CAN LOOK LIKE

• Emergency systems failure or non-availability: Inadequate maintenance of lifts for use by firefighters and evacuation lifts.
• Monthly routine checks: Checks by the responsible person of lifts that are intended for use by firefighters and evacuation lifts and, if any of these checks reveal a fault, if the fault cannot be rectified within 24 hours, notification to the Fire and Rescue Service.
• Unauthorised modifications: Conducting lift work that affects active or passive fire safety measures without proper building control approval.
• Contractor mismanagement: Working with contractors without proper competence declarations.
• Documentation gaps: Failing to maintain proper records of maintenance, inspections, and modifications.
• Energy efficiency violations: Not meeting required energy efficiency standards during refurbishments.
• Incident reporting failures: Not utilising the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting (MOR) system properly.

HOW TO MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE

Understand your legal requirements: Understanding the legal obligations around lift maintenance is essential. FMs must ensure they have robust maintenance protocols in place, covering regular inspections, emergency procedures, and documentation requirements.

Work with qualified contractors: All third-party contractors should be able to demonstrate their capability, including managing the competence of their people, for the scope of work they are undertaking.

Implement regular maintenance: Following British Standards (BS 9999:2017 and BS 8899:2016), establish and maintain:

• Weekly checks of fire detection systems and lift recall functions.
• Monthly power supply tests for emergency and evacuation lifts.
• Regular thorough examinations by competent persons.

Report issues promptly: Using the Mandatory Occurrence Reporting system, report any safety incidents or compliance issues immediately. This helps maintain transparency and ensures proper oversight of building safety matters.

Consult with experts when needed: If you are uncertain about any aspect of lift maintenance compliance, consulting with qualified experts can help ensure your protocols meet all regulatory requirements.

Lift safety compliance in the UK is a serious responsibility with significant implications. For FMs, the risk of non-compliance can be high, but with proper knowledge and practices, these risks can be effectively managed.

RESPONSIBILITIES FOR THE RESPONSIBLE PERSON – AT A GLANCE

Periodic routine checks – Weekly / Monthly
Check lifts automatically recall if connected to fire detection/alarm system and recalls if activated manually. Check the operation of the evacuation and/ or firefighting/firefighters lift switches.

Periodic routine checks – Monthly
Simulates failure of primary power and changeover to secondary power supply. If a generator provides the secondary power supply, it should energise the lifts(s) for at least 1 hr.

Thorough examination – Six monthly
Arranges for lift to be thoroughly examined by a Competent Person, including features and controls of lifts for fire service use and evacuation, and; Arranges for other building aspects related to the lift to be inspected/ examined/ tested by specialists (i.e. drainage pumps, fire alarm interface, communication systems, etc.).

Supplementary Test – Annual as called for by the CP
Arranges for any supplementary tests called for by the Competent Person (CP) to be undertaken. Forwards the result to the Competent Person. Arranges for defects to be corrected/ rectified. Retains documented evidence of all tests/ inspections and other records.

Arranges for an annual performance test of various items of fire-fighting plant, including evacuation and fire-fighting lifts, and obtains/ retains documented evidence.

Where a fault cannot be rectified with 24 hours, reports it electronically to the local FRS as soon as practicable, and again when rectified.

LIFTEX 2025 takes place from 11 – 12 June 2025 at ExCeL, London www.liftexshow.com.

The post Lift maintenance: Are you compliant? appeared first on FMJ.