At one time, a lift in a domestic house was a rarity, unless it was a stair lift installed for an elderly or disabled person. Nowadays however, a lift is fast becoming a must-have feature, which adds value to a house. They are not just the preserve of larger and more exclusive properties, but are increasingly installed in any type of multi-level home.

As the need to design homes fit for all stages of life becomes more apparent, forward-thinking architects are including a lift as a standard feature in new build homes. Here’s why.

Modern lifts are sleek and stylish

Lifts once had a reputation for being cumbersome and ugly. However, elevator technology has progressed significantly over the past couple of decades, and you might be surprised with the quality of today’s lifts.

Aesthetically speaking, they are designed to a much higher standard, with a choice of finishes and colours to complement the interior décor of your home. They can be installed to fit discreetly into a corner of a room, or even be used to form a focal point.

Platform lifts, which do not require a cable, take up no more space than a cupboard or wardrobe, and are relatively straightforward to install, even in a home that wasn’t originally designed to accommodate a lift.

Modern lifts are safe and quiet

Lifts once had a reputation for being noisy and unreliable. However, modern lifts are designed to the highest safety standards and regulations. Your lift installation company will advise you about a regular maintenance programme to keep it in perfect working order.

Modern lifts are affordable

There is a common assumption that installing a lift is expensive, but it won’t necessarily cost more than renovating any other part of your house. They also add value to your home, as people now actively seek out accessibility features which will future-proof the property.

If you are looking for lift companies, please get in touch today.

If you have identified a need to install a lift, you may not be quite sure which type will be best. Here are some of the main points to consider, to help you choose the most appropriate type of lift for the building.

How many people do you want to transport?

The first thing to decide is how the lift will be used. If it is for wheelchair access, or just to transport one to three people at a time, a platform lift may be the best solution. If there is a high volume of traffic in a public building, or there are more than four storeys, then a larger capacity passenger lift will be needed.

How much space is there in the building?

If the building is still in the design and planning stage, then it is much easier to incorporate the lift shaft from the start. Sometimes, lift shafts can be fitted to existing buildings, if there is sufficient space. If there is not the capacity to build a lift shaft, then a platform lift might be a more suitable solution.

Will the lift be aesthetically pleasing?

It is important in most cases that the lift should fit in and complement the décor of the building. Lifts are available in a range of finishes and fittings to suit, and you can specify colours and materials for both the exterior and interior trim in many cases.

Put a maintenance plan in place

Finally, once the lift has been installed, it is important to keep your lift well maintained and adhere to a regular servicing schedule. LOLER examinations or lift inspections are legally required to be completed regularly by a competent person. This will reduce the likelihood of problems occurring in the future, ensure that it is safe to operate, and will extend its lifespan.

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All new homes in England will be required to have step-free access under proposed changes to the Building Regulations. The Architect’s Journal reports that the reforms have been brought about after a consultation into raising accessibility standards for private housing.

The new regulations will only apply to entrance-level access, but it could mean that apartment blocks which currently do not have step free access will now have lifts installed. It may also pave the way for houses to be designed to better standards of accessibility in the future.

The minister for rough sleeping and housing Eddie Hughes said: ‘Older and disabled people must have homes which are suitable for their needs, and allow them to live comfortably and independently.’

He added: ‘This consultation has made clear raising the accessibility standard of new homes is supported not just by people who use accessible homes, but by industry and wider stakeholders as well. With that mandate, we are forging ahead with the next steps to make this a reality.’

The move has been made in response to the growing problem of the UK’s aging population, and the fact that only 9% of UK homes have key accessibility features, which allow them to be classed as ‘visitable.’ It is thought that over 400,000 wheelchair users are living in homes which are not properly adapted to their needs.

The proposed changes to the building regulations will require accessibility to be considered as an integral part of the design process, rather than an afterthought. This will help to futureproof England’s homes, by allowing current and future generations to stay living independently in their homes for longer.

Accessible features in a home, such as lifts, not only benefit the elderly and disabled, but also the parents of young children, pregnant women, and the temporarily injured. They also make them more visitable for older generations.

If you are looking for lift companies, please talk to us today.uk/stair-lifts.

Many people with disabilities prefer to remain as independent as possible in their own homes. One of the key aspects of this may involve safely navigating the different floors within a house, to access a bathroom or bedroom. For those who use a wheelchair or have limited mobility, adaptations or alterations will have to be made.

It may be possible to obtain a grant to cover some or all of the fees from your local authority, if you live in England or Wales. This is known as a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). The capped amount you can receive in England is £30,000. Here’s a guide to the application process.

The grant is means tested, so the amount you are eligible for will be affected by your income and savings of over £6,000. Anyone with a permanent disability, whether physical or mental, can apply to fund changes to their home, such as home lifts, wetrooms, ramps, widening of doorways, and so on.

The first step is to contact your local council for an assessment, because each area has slightly different rules. They will arrange for an assessment to be made, and will decide if the work is necessary, appropriate to meet your needs, and can be physically carried out without compromising the structural integrity of the property.

If the council approves the work, it will normally ask for two estimates for the cost. You will have to fill out an application form, and submit documentation to prove you are the owner or tenant of the property. The next step is to apply for planning permission.

You must wait for approval before any work starts, or this could invalidate your claim. The council may either pay the contractor directly for the work, or issue you with a cheque, or instalments to pay the contractor yourself.

A disabled man has spoken to the media about his distressing experience when attempting to change platforms at Milton Keynes Central station. The Independent reports that Chris Nicholson, a wheelchair user, became stranded when he had to unexpectedly change platforms after a train cancelation on a recent journey. 

There was no working lift or other step-free access on the platform, and station staff told Chris that he must wait for the next available train, which was several hours away. He was left stranded on a platform in 31°c heat, with no access to toilets or refreshments. 

Staff said they were unable to help him up a flight of concrete steps, because it would go against the station’s health and safety policy. Chris decided to take matters into his own hands, and he dragged himself and his chair up a flight of steps. At the halfway point, a passenger and staff member came to his assistance. 

Chris, a former rugby player, told the publication: "If staff had been trained to help people with different disabilities, had evac chairs readily available and actually had a working lift - because that lift had been down for seven days according to the security guard.”

He added: "I'm not just the only person who's been in this situation. It's progressed further and there's a lot of people out there who have had issues on public transport. If people were trained, if people had the knowledge and understanding of what to do then we wouldn't be in this situation right now."

Chris pointed out that his experience of public transport was common for many disabled people across the country, and also affected parents with prams and pushchairs. He called for a change in policy to oblige transport operators to improve accessibility. The train operator, Avanti West Coast, later issued an apology for the incident.

If you would like some information about a wheelchair platform lift, please get in touch today.

Leyton tube station in East London has been approved for refurbishment work, including the addition of new lifts to enable step-free access to all the platforms. The plans also include the addition of a new ticket hall, which would be three times as large as the existing one, and extra staircases to the platforms.

The existing tube station is prone to overcrowding at peak times, resulting in emergency staircases being opened to ease the pressure on several occasions. The proposed upgrade scheme would cost £18-20 million, and it has received the approval of the Mayor of London. However, there is currently a funding shortfall that needs to be met.

A TfL spokesperson said: “The approval of a GLA grant will enable us to complete the initial plans for station improvements at Leyton, including details of the programme and cost estimates for both detailed design and construction.”

They added: “We will continue discussions with both the London Borough of Waltham Forest and GLA on how the wider programme can be funded and delivered. While this is a positive step for the project, future enhancement programmes like Leyton remain dependent on securing sufficient long-term funding from Government.”

A new residential development of 7,000 homes is being built near the station, and this is expected to put even more pressure the already overcrowded platforms. The station is currently used by 14 million passengers per year, and this is expected to increase to 17 million by 2041.

Waltham Forest council has agreed to provide £9m of funding, and initially TfL agreed to fund the rest. However, the pandemic has since put further pressure on TfL’s finances, and the funding negotiations are still ongoing.

If you are looking for lift companies in your area, please talk to us today.

At the recent Party at the Palace event to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee, plans were put in place to convey the 96-year-old monarch in comfort to the Royal Box, according to the Daily Mail. The queen has been experiencing mobility problems in the months leading up to the Jubilee celebrations, and has pulled out of several public events.

Before the special concert, featuring stars such as Rod Stewart, Queen (the band), Duran Duran, Nile Rodgers, Craig David, and Diana Ross, a sharp-eyed visitor spotted a lift installation behind the scenes of the Royal Box.

Bowel Cancer UK fundraiser Dafydd Jones attended the event as a special guest. He tweeted a photograph of the lift to the Royal Box on The Mall, and speculated that it had been put in place to enable the Queen to access the raised platform.

Dafydd wrote on Twitter: “Behind the scenes here on The Mall, looks like a lift has been installed for Her Majesty's comfort to take her to the Royal Box.” The report was neither confirmed or denied by Buckingham Palace or the BBC, who were broadcasting the event.

Her Majesty made the decision not to attend the concert in person, and was represented by her son, Prince Charles, along with various other senior members of the Royal Family.

While not everyone with limited mobility is fortunate enough to have their own personal lift installed, there are regulations pertaining to wheelchair access in public places. They are part of the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995, and were updated to encompass the Equality Act 2010, which expanded the requirements for public disabled access.

All new-build public buildings must be fully wheelchair accessible, and all existing buildings are required to have reasonable adjustments made to accommodate wheelchair users. This may mean installing access ramps of regulation steepness, passenger lifts, or wheelchair platform lifts, automatic doors, and extra aids or services.

New research reveals that three-quarters of heritage workers think that accessibility is extremely or very important at their organisation. The survey, carried out by specialist insurance group Ecclesiastical and the Heritage Alliance, also found that organisations would like more funding and advice about supporting visitors with special needs.

Overall, the majority of heritage organisations, such as the National Trust, take a positive and proactive approach to catering for visitors with limited mobility or other special needs. One of the biggest challenges can be providing physical access to older and listed buildings, for example by installing a wheelchair platform lift.

One in 10 heritage workers said that none of their property was wheelchair accessible, with the main reason being the prohibitive cost of installing lifts or making other adjustments. They called for more help to address the problem, including more public sector funding, and greater sharing of best practice and guidelines.

Lizzie Glithero-West, CEO of the Heritage Alliance, said: “Accessibility to heritage covers a range of issues and some important work is underway. It is particularly encouraging that three quarters (77%) of the heritage workers surveyed said accessibility is extremely or highly prioritised at their organisation.”

She added: “Attention to accessibility, whether it be physical or digital, widens audiences and allows more people to experience the positive benefits of engagement with heritage.”

“It is clear from the survey responses that many in the heritage sector are keen to make their locations as accessible to as many people as possible, and that there is an appetite for the sector to work together and support each other to make real progress.”

Of the two in five respondents who thought that their organisation wasn’t doing enough to improve access, 46% cited more accessible toilets and better wheelchair access as the main area requiring improvement.

The acronym LOLER stands for Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998. They set out the legal requirements in regard to the duties of people who own, operate, or manage lifting equipment. Lifting operations are defined as ‘the lifting or lowering of a load’, which can be products or people.

The regulations are in place to ensure that all lifting operations are planed properly, and carried in a safe and appropriate manner by trained and competent people. The equipment should only be used for its intended purpose, and a full risk assessment should be made.

The equipment should be kept to the manufacturer’s inspection and service schedule, with full records kept. Some of the LOLER regulations place legal requirements on the designers and manufacturers of lifting equipment, while others place obligations on the owners and operators.

LOLER regulations only apply to lifting equipment which is used at work, so people who have domestic lifts installed are exempt. Of course, lifts installed for use in private dwellings or in a place that is used with public access, for example a commercial wheelchair lift, should still be used in a safe manner and serviced on a regular basis.

Where a lift is installed for use at work, the dutyholder has an obligation to ensure the lift is thoroughly examined at statutory intervals of every six or 12 months. The lift should be maintained to a safe standard in the intervening periods, and any defects should be addressed promptly.

A competent person should be selected to maintain the lift, who has sufficient technical and practical knowledge to be able to recognise faults and know how to address them. The person can be employed from an outside organisation if necessary.

The person who carries out the thorough examination should not be the same person who is responsible for the routine maintenance of the lift. This is to maintain an objective and impartial viewpoint. Reports of the thorough examinations should be made and kept available for the information of health and safety inspectors.

The much-delayed opening of Crossrail, now known as the Elizabeth Line, is set for 24 May. All 41 of the new stations will have step-free access from street level to the platforms. Various new lifts have been installed to provide access to both the underground and surface level stations, where necessary.

Owing to position of the entrance at the newly-built central London stations of Farrington and Liverpool Street, incline lifts, which move in diagonal lines alongside the escalators, have been installed.

Further difficulties had to be worked around at the 19th century Grade II listed Hanwell station, which had been placed on the Heritage at Risk Register by Historic England. The station has now been fully restored, which meant excavating one of the lift shafts by hand, in order to protect the original timber canopy.

 TfL station enhancement manager Peter Herridge commented: “Our team, including colleagues from our operator MTR Elizabeth line, has worked closely with the Railway Heritage Trust, the London Borough of Ealing and Network Rail to carry out these improvements while preserving the rich heritage of this 19th century station.”

The first passengers who descend the elevators to the new underground stations will have a strikingly different experience to using the Tube. The new stations are more than 240 metres long, and in some cases 10 storeys underground. Each station has been designed to have an individual identity, whilst maintaining uniform standards of space and accessibility.

The line will connect suburban areas of Berkshire in the east to the heart of London, and encompass Heathrow airport, before reaching out to eastern Essex. It will increase the capital’s current rail capacity by 10%, and put over 1.5 million people within a 45-minute commute of central London.

If you are looking for lift consultants, please talk to us today.

The hospitality industry needs to invest more in disabled access facilities, such as wheelchair platform lifts, as the majority of customers believe there are not currently enough.

According to a recent report by Hospitality Guest Experience Management (HGEM), 71 per cent of consumers think more attention needs to be brought to accessibility in the hospitality industry.

Findings revealed 62 per cent of Gen-Z thought this to be the case, while this increased to 73 per cent for those over 66 years old.

Commenting on the figures, founder of the Blue Badge Access Awards Robin Sheppard stated: “The statistics in this report shock, embarrass and intrigue in equal measure. More importantly they make you realise that what is currently normal is not acceptable.”

It was added that a “new normal” needs to be established to make hospitality venues more accessible for everyone.

HGEM’s report concluded that many businesses might be losing custom due to their lack of facilities, as 30 per cent of customers said they would leave a venue if disabled access was inadequate.

Furthermore, more than half would not return to a place where accessibility was difficult.

As well as it being essential that hospitality venues are accessible for all, the same goes for transport hubs.

This is why Sudbury Hill Underground Station recently installed passenger lifts to platforms, taking the number of step-free stations in London to 90, Intelligent Transport revealed.

The Piccadilly Line station had to undergo changes to the Grade II-listed ticket hall in order to allow for the installation of the passenger lift.

When considering home improvements, installing a lift may not be the first thing that springs to mind, unless you or a family member have mobility issues. However, there are some benefits to installing home lifts, which you might have overlooked. Here are some reasons why a domestic lift can be a very worthwhile investment.

You will future proof your home

If you have found your ‘forever’ home, no doubt you will want to remain living there independently for as long as possible. If your mobility levels decline as you get older, a domestic lift will be the key feature that allows you or your loved one to enjoy your home for years to come.

You will be spared the necessity of creating a downstairs bathroom or bedroom, should you have trouble managing the stairs in later life. Of course, the lift will not only be of benefit to you, but it also makes your home more accessible to visitors, such as elderly relatives or those who have limited mobility. 

You may increase the value of your home

Even if you might sell the house in the future, a lift is a very attractive feature for potential buyers, whether they are in later life, or have young children and all the extra carrying and fetching that comes with looking after them. It is still quite an unusual property feature, and many people may simply be prepared to pay more for the extra novelty and convenience.

You will add a stylish feature to your home

Traditional mobility aids have an image of being clunky and purely functional, but modern domestic lifts are nothing like this. In fact, some homeowners make them the central feature of the room. They are quiet, easy to operate and maintain, and can be retrofitted into almost any home in a stylish and discreet manner.

Like many aspects of functional modern design, the passenger lift is a marvel of engineering that is seldom thought about because of how reliable it is. We enter the square, mirrored space, push the appropriate floor button and in less than a minute are transported to where we need to go.

However, there are so many spectacular, unique and fascinating lift designs occupying buildings throughout the world, either out of necessity or as an architectural centrepiece in themselves.

Lloyd’s Building Outdoor Lift

Home of the famous Lloyd’s Of London insurance institution, the Lloyd’s Building is unique in the United Kingdom for having nearly every internal aspect of the building on the outside, including its lifts.

Exterior lifts are exceptionally rare, and even in a city as architecturally vibrant as London the Lloyd’s building stands out, and with the help of its exterior lifts, the building became the youngest in history to garner Grade I listed building status.

Rising Tide Elevator

The MS Oasis of the Seas was the largest cruise ship ever made at the time of its launching (as of 2022 it sits fourth), and whilst it features a range of exceptionally luxurious and technologically advanced amenities, the main centrepiece is the Rising Tide Elevator that connects the Royal Promenade to the Central Park Deck.

What makes it unique is that it is perhaps the only lift in the world equipped with a fully-staffed cocktail bar, allowing up to 35 passengers to spend the eight-minute journey with a refreshing freshly-made drink.

AquaDom

The largest acrylic cylindrical aquarium in the world, AquaDom’s main role is to allow the people riding the lift to the different floors of the Radisson Collection Hotel in Berlin in the middle to see over 1500 fish on their way to the top.

It is a one-of-a-kind lift that may never be repeated or superseded.

A massive new contract has been awarded by HS2 for the lifts and escalators at four major stations on the high speed network.

Worth between £207 million and £316 million, the flexible deal will see German firm TK Elevator providing passenger lift and escalator facilities at Birmingham Curzon Street, Birmingham Interchange, Old Oak Common and the new HS2 Euston hub.  This will see up to 160 lifts and 130 escalators being provided to help passengers of all mobility levels get to and from the platforms.

The variation in the potential cost is due to the fact that exact numbers of lifts and escalators is not finalised, as the designs of the stations are still being developed. 

Commenting on the deal, HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson said: “These state-of-the-art lifts and escalators, alongside our commitment to step-free access from street to the train, will facilitate this while also acting as an eye-catching feature.”

Whatever the final details of the designs, step-free access to all platforms to provide end-to-end accessibility for all travellers is a key element of the HS2 blueprint. Andrew Cubitt, HS2’s procurement director, said the escalators and lifts will be “essential” for “helping us to ensure seamless journeys for everyone”.

Similarly, chief executive officer for TK Elevator in Europe and Africa Inge Delobelle emphasised the firm’s plan to “help provide the best mobility solutions for this ambitious undertaking”.

The greatest provision of step-free access will be at Old Oak Common, where passengers will travel 13.5-metres between the platforms and surface level. There will be more than 50 escalators and lifts at the station, which will provide an interchange between HS2 and Crossrail.

Crossrail has a similar commitment to step-free access, which will be available at every one of its 41 stations. In many cases this has involved technical projects to install lifts in older station complexes where a new Crossrail stop is being added, such as at Hanwell, Farringdon and Liverpool Street.

Lifts are the most used mass-transit system used throughout the world, transporting workers, residents, customers, and delivery personnel throughout office residential blocks all around the world.

As with any heavy machinery, lifts must be maintained and serviced to ensure they are working correctly and safely to help reduce the risks of serious accidents or even death.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) states that passenger lifts and combined goods and passenger lifts in workplaces that are primarily used by people at work should be subject to periodic thorough examination and inspection.

This is required by Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations (LOLER) and the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations (PUWER) legislation.

We look at some tips to make sure that your business does not fail when it comes to lift safety.

All lifts must be properly maintained and subjected to a thorough inspection by competent personnel, as a failure of the lift can potentially result in serious injury or death.

Anyone with responsibility for lifting equipment  should:

•   Arrange thorough examinations for all lifts at a frequency specified by the competent person.

•   Retain a report/certificate that gives information on the safety of the lift.

•   Maintain the lifts in accordance with manufacturer’s or installer’s instructions, and keep an up-to-date maintenance log.

•   Instruct staff in their safe use, including emergency procedures associated with the lift.

•   Train key staff in the procedures to be taken in the event of a lift breakdown and when people need to be released.

•   Train key staff to carry out routine safety checks.

•   Keep all moving parts of the lift machinery guarded.

•   Prevent unauthorised persons from entering the lift plant room.

If you’re looking for lift consultants, get in touch today.

There can be a multitude of reasons why a lift may stop operating, from power cuts to vandalism, but if you’re unfortunate to be stuck in a lift when it breaks down, do you know what to do, and importantly what not to do?

The Sun reports that the Secretary for Levelling Up, Michael Gove was recently stuck in a lift at the BBC on his way to an interview with Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday 10 January, and after being stuck for half an hour told the show: “You successfully levelled me up, so I’m delighted to be here.”

Nick Mellow, the director of the Lift and Escalator Industry Association was invited to the radio show and interviewed by Naga Munchetty, who said that being stuck in a lift for half an hour wasn’t that bad, as some people can end up being stuck for hours.

He advised people, should they find themselves in a similar situation, stressing that most new lifts will have an integrated communications system to allow people to call for help.

Mellor said that there are two key things to remember when finding yourself trapped. Firstly, use the alarm system to alert people that you are there, and then wait for an engineer to come and release you.

However, he stressed that the most dangerous thing to do was to try and free yourself. He said the lift is safe, just not working, and that, unlike in action movies, it is not going to fall. If passengers attempt to open the lift doors themselves, there is a risk of falling down the lift shaft.

“What you need to do is wait for the lift engineer to get there and move it to the floor level,” he said.

Staying in the lift car rules out other risks so it's always better to stay in the lift, try not to panic, or attempt to get out. Try to remain calm and trust the professionals to fix the problem.

If you’re looking for lift refurbishment companies, talk to us today.

Sudbury Hill Underground Station, on the Piccadilly Line, has become the latest tube station to go step-free, following the construction of passenger lifts to platforms.

Intelligent Transport reports that the completion of the work at the station means that the total number of step-free stations on London’s Underground network now stands at 90. As well as new lifts, Sudbury Hill station will continue to include boarding ramps, as well as tactile paving along the full length of both platforms.

Although opened in 1903 as part of the District line, the station building was rebuilt less than 20 years later to a design by Charles Holden when it was taken over by the Picadilly line in 1932. The ticket hall is now Grade II listed.

So that the lifts could be fitted into the station, it was necessary to make several changes to the Grade II-listed ticket hall.

Initial plans had hoped to place the lift to Platform 2 inside the ticket hall. But columns underneath the hall were in the way, while plans to include the lifts into the existing concrete footbridge had to be abandoned after the condition of the footbridge meant adapting it wasn’t viable.

Instead, two free-standing brick-clad lift shafts have been built, with one from the ticket hall down to the nearest platform, and another shaft at the other end of the footbridge, linked by a new connection.

To create space for the lift entrance inside the ticket hall down to Platform 2, the ticket office and staff room, added to the hall in the 1980s, were demolished and facilities moved to other rooms available in the hall.

Bricks consistent with the rest of the building were used to construct the new lift shafts and a new window was specified to match the style of the existing ones.

If you’re looking for passenger lift companies, then talk to us today.

Protecting your tenants, visitors, employees and customers should always be a priority. Lifts are one of the most frequently used forms of motorised transportation in the world, and can potentially become a hotspot for contamination.

With the new variant of COVID-19, Omicron, surging, we have a look at what steps you can take to keep you and those in your building safe.

Tips for Property and Facility Managers  

Clean and disinfect all lift buttons and other frequently touched surfaces periodically throughout the day. Cleaning removes the germs but disinfecting kills them. Be sure to choose products appropriate for the finishes in your lift.

Post signage letting users know that all high-touch surfaces are being cleaned and disinfected regularly to help keep them safe.

Provide sanitising wipes and/or hand sanitiser near lifts and escalators

 Tips for Lift Riders

• Wear a mask and avoid riding with those not wearing masks.

• Limit the number of people in a lift to three

• Wait for the next lift to avoid overcrowding

• Avoid touching your face after pressing the buttons

• Wash hands, use wipes or hand sanitiser after leaving the lift

• If able, you can always take the stairs and get your steps in.

Limiting contact to avoid transmission of the coronavirus will continue, and extend to not only who you allow on your property, but how you allow them. 

Establish a business continuity plan, if you do not already have one, which outlines protocols to promote continued worker safety and the steps you need to take as you move forward.

Enhanced hygiene measures are straightforward to implement, and can help keep everyone safe.

If you’re looking for lift consultants, talk to us today.

When it comes to buying bespoke platform lifts, you might not be certain straight away which is the best type for your needs. Here’s a brief overview of the different categories and what they are designed for.

Open platform lifts

These are designed for transporting people and wheelchair users in a safe manner for external or internal vertical travel. They are sometimes referred to as a wheelchair lift, and can be fitted in domestic and commercial environments. They require much less space than a traditional lift, so they are ideal where access is needed to smaller premises.

These lifts are easy to install, aesthetically pleasing, and simple to use. They have low maintenance and running costs, and are easy to service. They are ideal for care homes, private homes, and educational and retail establishments.

Inclined platform lifts

This is a type of stairlift, allowing a wheelchair user safe access up a set of steps or staircase. The platform is fixed to a diagonal runner along the side of the staircase, and is capable of carrying a wheelchair to the upper level.

They are easy to install and simple to use, and can be fitted to most types of staircase both indoors and outside. Inclined platform lifts are a more affordable option than other types of lift.

Low-rise vertical platform lifts

Low rise platform lifts are designed to carry a passenger a short distance. They can be installed at the side of a single step in split-level room layouts, for example. Suitable for both indoor and outdoor use, these lifts will accommodate a wheelchair and an attendant.

Vertical platform lifts are unobtrusive and stylish, and blend well into the surroundings. They are suitable for both commercial and domestic settings, to ensure the building is compliant with Equality Act regulations. Installation is quick and easy, often just taking one or two days.

Whilst the passenger lift system received arguably its most important innovation and safety demonstration in 1854 with Elisha Otis’ heart-stopping cut rope, it would take a while for the system to be incorporated into building designs.

The reason for this was in part due to the difficulties in finding a building large enough to show off what was, at the time, a state of the art technology.

However, the lift would get its day in the sun when Arthur Gilman and Edward H Kendall designed the Equitable Life Building in Manhatten, New York in 1868, and would work with the Otis Elevator Company to add elevators to an office building for the very first time.

Part of the reason for this was that before the development of reinforced concrete, buildings would rarely reach over four stories and as a result elevators were primarily used for mines, transporting war materials and in hotels.

There was, at the time, a negative reputation attached to having an office that was above the second floor, simply because that meant workers were more tired as they had to climb flights of stairs.

Initially, two steam elevators were installed when the building opened in 1870, but before the decade was out another four had been added, which became ten by the late 1880s as the building became a tourist attraction in its own right.

Whilst not a skyscraper, it was an especially tall building for the time, and so people walking on Broadway would often visit the top floor to see some rather unique views of New York for the time.

The building was hugely successful and by the end of the century had over 3,000 occupants, in part due to its lifts allowing more people to work in the building as well as amenities such as electric lighting giving it a luxury reputation.

Unfortunately, whilst the building was touted as “fireproof” by the designers, it unfortunately burned down in 1912, to be replaced by what was at the time the largest office building in the world, the Equitable Building, which still stands to this day.