The London Plan 2021 is a strategic development plan, setting out how London will develop over the next 20-25 years.

The Plan was put in place to shape how the capital will grow, by setting policies for issues such as housing, employment, transport and infrastructure, based on the idea that what happens in one borough will affect what happens in those that surround it. The policies within the plan are also likely to inform how developments elsewhere in the UK will be designed.

In respect of lifts, the London Plan provides guidance on inclusive design for the provision of lifts within buildings. This includes evacuation lifts for those needing level access.

Recent events, such as the Grenfell Tower disaster, have raised the question of evacuation of those with impaired mobility, which is likely to be an increasing proportion of a building’s population.

The London Plan 2021 summarises the key requirements for evacuation lifts as follows:

• Development proposals should incorporate within their design ‘safe and dignified emergency evacuation for all building users’.
• Any development with lifts installed should have one lift per core as a minimum, or more based on capacity assessment. This should be suitably sized for fire evacuation, with enhanced features suitable for evacuation features.
• The Design Assessment Statement for the building should include details of fire evacuation procedures.
• All building users, including those requiring step-free access, should be able to evacuate the building with ease and dignity, as independently as possible.

What is an evacuation lift?

An evacuation lift is a lift that’s used as a regular passenger lift in normal circumstances, and then dedicated to evacuating building occupants when the need arises.

Designed to evacuate those with mobility issues, or those needing step-free access in the event of an emergency, as part of a Personal Emergency Evacuation Plan (PEEP), evacuation lifts typically require at least two people to manage the process. This means that these lifts are not suitable for residential buildings where there is no onsite management team.

Evacuation lifts are clearly marked as such and incorporate a fire-protected communication system and a secondary power supply.

Where an evacuation lift is provided within a building, clear procedures need to be in place with relevant training to implement the PEEP. Regular maintenance and inspection are vital, with a full inspection carried out by a competent person required annually. Refresher training should be carried out at suitable intervals for evacuation team members.
In terms of standards, BS9999 defines the requirements for UK evacuation lifts, and has done so since 2008. A specific standard was published in draft in 2019, but it didn’t get as far as publication. A revised draft standard is in development, and should be published in 2023. This is covered further on in this article.

The use of lifts in the event of fire

“In the event of fire, do not use the lift” is a statement that has always been drummed into everyone.

When a fire alarm is activated, in line with BS EN81-73: 2018, lifts should travel to the main exit floor and then shut down to prevent their use. Some lifts have more than one recall level, so that if the fire is located at the main exit level, the lift can be recalled to an alternative level to allow passengers to exit safely. Regular checking of this function is vital to ensure the lifts are able to operate as required in an emergency.

There are also lifts that are specifically designed for use by the fire service. Firefighters’ lifts are designed to standard EN81-72:2020. These lifts are very different to evacuation lifts, and are not designed for that purpose.

The issue with residential buildings

In buildings other than residential blocks, anyone who cannot use the stairs in an emergency is expected to wait at a refuge point until the responsible person can assist them to evacuate in line with their PEEP.

In residential buildings, however, refuges are not generally provided, and there is no UK guidance stating that they need to be. Therefore, the only means of escape is usually via the stairs, as regular passenger lifts will be grounded in the event of an emergency. This means that anyone unable to use the stairs will have no way to self-evacuate, or communicate with any onsite management.

Currently, guidance for such situations is patchy. BS 9991:2015 states that: ‘Providing an accessible means of escape should be an integral part of fire safety management which should take into account the full range of people who might use the premises, paying particular attention to the needs of disabled people.’

The same standard says that responsibility for meeting this objective lies with building management, but there is a lack of practical guidance. Evacuation lifts are suggested as a solution during the building design process, but they need to be driven by a trained member of staff, making them unviable where there is no onsite management available.

Evacuation lifts: the future

The requirements for evacuation lifts are likely to develop over the next few years as specific standards concerning their design are planned for publication.

The fact that evacuation lift requirements are included in the London Plan, and by other local authority planning and building control teams, would suggest that there will be a greater requirement for them in the future.

Numerous opportunities lay ahead, but challenges do too.

There are opportunities, for example, to improve current fire safety guidance around evacuation lifts. Approved Document B of the Building Regulations covering fire safety matters within and around buildings is undergoing technical review.

The recent draft prEN 81-76 presents some emerging thinking on how evacuation lifts could operate, outlining options for three different types of evacuation lift operation, including:

• Driver assisted evacuation, where a trained member of staff drives the lift car from within the car itself
• Remote control evacuation, where a trained member of staff drives the lift car from a remote location
• Self-evacuation, where the lift continues to operate in the event of a fire, but its landing calls are prioritised in line with the evacuation strategy

The last two options here represent significant potential changes and could considerably improve fire evacuation measures within residential buildings.

Currently prEN 81-76 is only a draft, so should not yet be used for design. The Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) published guidance clarifying the status of the draft prEN 81-76, including its reference within the draft guidance to the London Plan 2021.

Currently, the British Standards Institute has the standard listed at comment resolution stage. The start date for resolution is 14 October 2022, so it’s a case of watch this space to see how things progress, and whether the standard will receive approval and pass to publication stage.

Finally, Nick Mellor of LEIA says that the challenge of using lifts for the general evacuation of a building, as well as for mobility impaired individuals, will also need due consideration.

He says, “It is not currently fully specified in British Standards, but there has been work at International Standards to produce ISO/TS 18870 Requirements for lifts used to assist in building evacuation. It is clear that further work is required on standards for lifts used in the general evacuation of the building. This remains an area where intense collaboration will be needed between client, building designers and lift contractor.”