Lifts Directive Explained


Directive 2014/33/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 June 1995 on the approximation of the laws of the Member States relating to lifts.


WHICH PRODUCTS ARE COVERED BY THE LIFTS DIRECTIVE 2014/33/EU?


This Directive applies to lifts permanently serving buildings and constructions. In order for a product to fall under the scope of the Lifts Directive, it must fit with the following definition:

‘lift’ means a lifting appliance serving specific levels, having a carrier moving along guides which are rigid and inclined at an angle of more than 15 degrees to the horizontal, intended for the transport of persons, persons and goods, goods alone if the carrier is accessible, that is to say a person may enter it without difficulty, and fitted with controls situated inside the carrier or within reach of a person inside the carrier.

Lifting appliances moving along a fixed course even where they do not move along guides which are rigid shall be considered as lifts falling within the scope of this Directive. Also, it applies to the following safety components:

Devices for locking landing doors.

Devices to prevent falls referred to in Section 3.2 of Annex I to prevent the car from falling or unchecked upward movements.

Overspeed limitation devices.

Energy-accumulating shock absorbers: either nonlinear, or with damping of the return movement and energy-dissipating shock absorbers.

Safety devices fitted to jacks of hydraulic power circuits where these are used as devices to prevent falls.

Electric safety devices in the form of safety switches containing electronic components.


WHICH PRODUCTS ARE NOT COVERED BY THE LIFTS DIRECTIVE 2014/33/EU?


The following are excluded from the Lifts Directive:

lifting appliances whose speed is not greater than 0,15 m/s,

cableways, including funicular railways,

lifts specially designed and constructed for military or police purposes,

lifting appliances from which work can be carried out,

mine winding gear,

lifting appliances intended for lifting performers during artistic performances,

lifting appliances fitted in means of transport,

lifting appliances connected to machinery and intended exclusively for access to workstations including maintenance and inspection points on the machinery,

rack and pinion trains,

escalators and mechanical walkways.


HOW TO COMPLY WITH THE LIFTS DIRECTIVE 2014/33/EU:

In the case of conformity assessment for lifts, the involvement of a Notified Body is obligatory.