SBS Study – Criticalities for lift SMEs in the application of standards EN 81-20 and EN 81-50

SBS Study – Criticalities for lift SMEs in the application of standards EN 81-20 and EN 81-50

The current study aims to investigate the difficulties and criticalities encountered by European lift SMEs in applying the following standards in recent years:
EN 81-20 – Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts – Lifts for the transport of persons and goods – Part 20: Passenger and goods passenger lifts
EN 81-50 – Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts – Examinations and tests – Part 50: Design rules, calculations, examinations and tests of lift components
These two standards are the main ones at European level for the lifts sector. It would therefore be desirable to have an instrument, in this case the result of the study, to enable SBS and
EFESME, given their role and commitment to European lifts SMEs. This would provide the necessary information to intervene effectively with both the Commission and CEN-CENELEC,
addressing and remedying the identified problems and criticalities to the maximum extent possible.
The criticalities in the application of the Directive 2014/33/EU on the harmonisation of the laws of the Member States relating to lifts and safety components for lifts – “Lifts Directive” and the
standards derived from it, focus mainly on the availability of tools and instructions at the installation. This a well-known problem in the European lifts sector: often, neither tools nor
instructions can be found at the installation, as required firstly by the Directive and secondly by current standards. The national market surveillance bodies, starting with the notified bodies,
should solve any problems with the lack of these elements.
Unfortunately, lifts SMEs involved in maintenance have struggled due to a lack of tools and instructions, encountering issues in applying the Directive. To assess the impact on these SMEs,
EFESME and its experts created an online questionnaire in four languages. Through the EFESME national members’ network, the survey engages European lift SMEs, allowing them to express
challenges in applying specified standards. Key study questions include identifying discrepancies in applying the Lifts Directive, noting shortcomings in the post-installation phase, and pinpointing gaps compared to the Directive text. The study aims to provide clear information for SBS and EFESME intervention, offering practical solutions for challenges faced by European lift SMEs.

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Views and opinions expressed are those of Small Business Standards (SBS) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or EFTA. Neither the European Union nor EFTA can be held responsible for them.