Commercial to Residential Conversion Including Low Headroom Derogation

CASE STUDY – Obtaining Certification by complying with Low Headroom restrictions under Standard BS EN 81-21 for a new lift installation in an office building being converted into apartments.

Solution – Unique collapsible lift car top handrail designed, manufactured and installed by Special Lift Projects International Ltd.

Due to the low headroom restriction on this installation of an 8 person passenger lift a solution was required for providing a car top handrail for complying with Low Headroom Restrictions under standard BS EN 81-21 existing buildings and for the Certification of the Lift to be granted by the approval body.

The existing lift shaft was oversized on 3 sides, including being semi-circular to the rear. EN 81-21 Standard required a car top handrail height of 1100mm above the car roof but due to the oversized lift shaft a standard fixed height 1100mm handrail would not work due to the low headroom restriction. We could not use a standard fold down handrail as this would not work because the handrail was needed on all 3 sides. The handrail we designed slides up and down the 4 corners of the lift car and is designed not to interrupt the operation of the equipment fixed on top of the car roof. The car top handrail is linked into the safety circuit by 4 switches that operate when the handrail is raised allowing the lift to be only run on inspection.

Derogation successfully applied for on behalf of the client by Special Lift Projects International Limited.

Options installed include:

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