Lifts shall be equipped with a fully functional emergency alarm system before being made available for use by passengers. The emergency alarm system shall allow permanent contact with the rescue service in case passengers are trapped inside the lift. This is clearly stipulated in the Lifts Regulations 2016 as follows:

“lifts must be fitted with two-way means of communication allowing permanent contact with a rescue service”.

This entails the installation of an emergency alarm system in accordance with the lifts standard EN 81-28, thus ensuring a two-way voice communication allowing permanent contact with a rescue service.  

The installer is responsible to make available a lift with a functional alarm system such that the responsible person/administrator would not be required to purchase additional hardware for the alarm system to operate. The responsible person/administrator thereon is responsible that the remote alarm system (two-way voice communication) always remains functional. This means that, unless otherwise agreed in the sales contract, the lift’s owner/administrator/responsible person must pay for the telecommunication service, as otherwise the lift will remain without an alarm system and cannot function.    

The alarm system must be able to simulate an automatic alarm test at least once every three days to ensure the availability/reliability of the system. Moreover, the lift alarm system shall be connected with a one-hour battery backup in order to operate in case of power failure. Any alarm shall not be impeded or lost even in cases of electrical power supply switching off or power supply failure.

Information to be provided with the lift concerning the emergency alarm system.

The installer shall inform the owner of the installation about the following:

• the need for the owner of the installation to ensure that the lift is connected to a rescue service;
• information that shall be passed over to the rescue service;
• the need to keep the alarm equipment in working condition at all times to provide 2-way communication with a rescue service;
• periodic checking of the voice response coming from the rescue service, by using the alarm initiation device(s) (manual test);
• information for use of alarm systems, e.g. press the button more than 3 times for initiating the alarm;
• the minimum maintenance requirements for the alarm system;
• information about how to change dialling parameters, e.g. telephone numbers where they are included in the alarm equipment;
• periodic checks;
• automatic tests;
• the information about failure of the alarm system and to immediately contact the rescue service.