The latest in lift safety
The Grenfell Tower tragedy highlighted critical gaps in evacuation planning, particularly for less mobile occupants. In response, recent updates to UK lift safety standards are transforming how building owners approach evacuation planning, secondary power supplies and maintenance procedures. These changes ensure that everyone, regardless of mobility, can safely evacuate during an emergency.
Here, Brian Preston, Global Business Manager – Elevator at CP Automation, explains how building owners can ensure safety and compliance.
The update to BS9991:2024 and release of EN81-76:2025 have been years in the making and ere accelerated by the Grenfell Inquiry findings published in 2022. These changes are centred around inclusivity, ensuring lifts can safely evacuate less able-bodied people from multi-storey buildings in emergencies, such as fires and power loss.
While the standards address different aspects, they are very similar in focus. EN81-76 is centred around lift design and integration within a building’s overarching fire safety strategy. Meanwhile, BS9991:2024 applies to residential buildings, mandating that a means of lift evacuation must be provided in most cases. This marks a significant shift, as evacuation lifts are no longer operational extras but important safety requirements.
Regulatory changes
Both standards outline stricter technical and operational criteria for evacuation lifts. One of the key requirements is the provision of both primary and secondary supplies, so there is redundancy if the primary supply is lost. Furthermore, for buildings over 18m high, the secondary supply must be independent from the main grid connection, whether it’s a diesel generator, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), or another source.
The standards also categorise buildings based on type and height. Class A buildings are typically lower-rise (<18m), and in a power loss scenario, the lifts should enable passengers to be evacuated to a safe floor, designated as an Evacuation Exit Landing. This is typically achieved using a simple Automatic Rescue Device (ARD) operating at reduced speed.
Meanwhile, Class B buildings, which are taller or more complex structures, require lifts to be fully operational during evacuations. This means they must be capable of running at full load and normal speed for at least 60 minutes, although solutions are available for up to three hours.
At this point, it’s important to point out that compliance is not just about installing the right hardware, though that is important. Both standards now include clear expectations for testing, maintenance, and reporting, placing much of the responsibility on building owners rather than lift contractors. For example, if an evacuation lift or its secondary supply is unavailable for a defined period, it is the building owners who are responsible for notifying the fire service.
Introducing UPS solutions
As mentioned, the standards recognise several options for providing secondary power, whether these are gensets, dedicated external feeds, or another source. Of these, a UPS is often the most practical and cost effective solution.
A UPS is an electrical device that provides instantaneous back-up power when the main electrical supply fails. It works by storing energy in batteries, which is then converted through an inverter to deliver stable AC power to critical equipment — in this case, the lift motor and its control systems. While generators can take several seconds to start up, a UPS reacts immediately and ensures a seamless transition with no interruption in lift service.
For evacuations, this speed of transition is crucial. In an emergency, even a momentary loss of power can compromise safety and delay the evacuation process.
Power interruptions can cause lifts to stall between floors and disable control systems. Because UPS systems are compact, quiet, and emit no exhaust gases, they are well suited to modern building environments that value space, a positive environmental impact, and reliability.
Selection and sizing
When choosing a UPS, building owners must consider performance, reliability, and compliance. Regular maintenance and testing are crucial, including an annual performance test that simulates the building’s designed evacuation scenario, typically lasting two hours. Modern UPS systems can also support local monitoring via the lift controller as well as remote monitoring via Ethernet, enabling real-time tracking of battery health, system performance, and compliance status.
It’s also important to consider the installation environment. UPS units should be housed in well ventilated, dust-free spaces to prevent heat build-up, with temperatures maintained between 20–25°C to optimise battery life. Sizing is another critical factor. Oversized units can lead to unnecessary costs, while undersized systems may fail when needed most. To help overcome this challenge, we developed a bespoke sizing tool that considers lift parameters such as motor type, voltage, current, travel height, speed, and number of operations/required operation time. This ensures the UPS provides the correct kVA rating and battery autonomy, delivering a solution that is both technically sound and cost efficient.
Partnering with an experienced UPS provider that has spent many years supplying motor control solutions for lift applications can make all the difference. As a dedicated specialist, we can help identify the varying load demands of a lift application and the specific servicing and testing requirements of UPS systems.
At CP Automation, we offer a comprehensive service, covering everything from annual inspections and battery replacements to full-service contracts with 24/7 support, as well as consultancy and compliance guidance.
EN81-76:2025 and BS9991:2024 are both significant regulatory changes, and the onus is on building owners to ensure their lifts can provide safe evacuation in the event of an emergency. There is now an established need for reliable secondary supplies, and UPS systems can provide an effective solution, provided they are well selected and sized appropriately.
