MEP · 13 checks

Lift Installation
QA inspection checklist

Passenger and goods lift installation quality audit.

Every check below carries what good looks like, when it passes, the standard it comes from and the defects that usually fail it. That guidance is what turns a tick-box into an inspection.

Shaft & Structure

  1. 1.
    Shaft dimensions and tolerances match design
    What to look forShaft internal dimensions (clear width, depth, headroom) match the lift maker's shaft drawing. Shaft plumb, walls smooth. Pit depth correct. Headroom (over-travel above top floor) per lift design.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20:2020: shaft dimensions per lift design with manufacturer-specified clearances. Plumb ±25 mm in storey height (or ±0.1% of total). Headroom and pit depth function of car size and travel.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020 — Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. CIBSE Guide D — Transportation systems in buildings.
    Common defectsShaft narrower than spec — car cannot fitPit depth shallow — buffer cannot fitHeadroom insufficient — no over-travel safetyWalls bowed — guide rail brackets cannot alignPenetrations through shaft (services not approved)
  2. 2.
    Guide rail brackets installed correctly
    What to look forBrackets fixed to structure at correct centres (typically 2.0-2.5 m). Brackets level and aligned. Fixings into structural concrete / steel only — not blockwork. Cast-in, chemical anchor, or through-bolt per design.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20 / lift designer: bracket spacing per car loading and dynamic forces; fixings to structural element with verified pull-out strength. Alignment within ±2 mm vertical.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020. Manufacturer installation manual.
    Common defectsBracket fixed to non-structural infill — pull-outBracket spacing exceeds design — dynamic deflectionBrackets not aligned — guide rails twistFixings undersized — vibration loosensNo pull-out test on chemical anchors
  3. 3.
    Pit waterproofing adequate
    What to look forPit dry. Tanking / waterproofing per BS 8102 if below ground. Pit drain or sump pump. No water staining on walls. Water ingress monitored. Pit ladder for access.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20 / BS 8102: pit must be dry. Type A barrier, B integral, or C drained cavity per design. Sump pump for drained pits. Pit ladder per BS EN 81-20.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020. BS 8102:2022 — Below-ground waterproofing.
    Common defectsWet pit — water rises from groundwaterNo tanking — assumed dry but is notSump pump not commissionedNo pit ladder — access dangerDrain blocked
  4. 4.
    Machine room/space accessible and ventilated
    What to look forMachine room (separate room or machine-room-less inside shaft) accessible safely. Door 0.6 × 1.4 m minimum, locked. Ventilation maintains ambient ≤ 40°C. Permanent lighting and socket. No services other than lift unrelated to lift.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20: machine room ambient -5 to +40°C; door min 0.6 × 1.4 m; ventilation per machine heat output; permanent ≥ 200 lux lighting; socket. Machine-room-less per BS EN 81-21.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020. BS EN 81-21:2018 (existing buildings).
    Common defectsAmbient > 40°C — drives shutdownDoor undersized — cannot get equipment inLighting / socket not providedOther services running through machine roomNo ventilation grille

Mechanical

  1. 5.
    Car and counterweight guides aligned
    What to look forGuide rails plumb in two directions, joints flush, no kinks. Brackets shimmed for alignment. Gauge between car and counterweight guides per design. Verified with plumb line / laser.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20 / lift designer: guide rail straightness ±0.5 mm in 5 m; gauge tolerance ±1 mm; joints butted and aligned within 0.1 mm. Confirmed by ride quality test.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020.
    Common defectsGuide rails kinked at joint — judder in rideGauge wrong — roller / sliding guide bindingPlumb out — car drift in shaftBrackets not shimmed — local out-of-lineLubrication not applied
  2. 6.
    Ropes/belts correct type and installed correctly
    What to look forSuspension ropes / belts of correct type, diameter, and number per design. Termination via wedge sockets / belt clamps per manufacturer. Tension equalised across all ropes / belts. Inspection record signed.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20 / BS EN 12385 (ropes): minimum 2 ropes (passenger lift); rope diameter ≥ 8 mm; safety factor ≥ 12. Belts to manufacturer standard. Tension equalisation < 5% rope-to-rope.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020. BS EN 12385-5:2002+A1:2008 — Steel wire ropes.
    Common defectsRope tension unequal — uneven wear, life halvedWedge socket not properly seatedWrong rope gradeBelt installed reversedNo installation record signed
  3. 7.
    Door operators functioning — open and close smoothly
    What to look forDoors open and close smoothly through full stroke. No binding, scraping, or noise. Light curtain / safety edge prevents closure on obstruction. Speed adjustable. Re-open if obstruction detected.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20: door speed 0.3-0.4 m/s typical; closing force ≤ 150 N kinetic energy ≤ 10 J; light curtain detects obstruction in any position; doors re-open on detection.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020 / BS EN 81-50:2020.
    Common defectsDoors bind on track — obstruction wearLight curtain not detecting low obstacleClosing force too high — entrapment riskNo re-open on detectionDoor gap excessive — finger entrapment
  4. 8.
    Car interior finish matches specification
    What to look forInterior wall, ceiling, floor finishes match approved sample. Mirror, handrail, and accessibility features per Part M. No transit damage. Lighting per spec. Emergency lighting test passed.
    Acceptable whenPer Approved Document M / BS EN 81-70: car size for accessibility; handrail at 900 mm; mirror; voice annunciation; tactile / Braille buttons. Materials per Approved Document B fire performance.
    StandardBS EN 81-70:2018 — Accessibility to lifts. Approved Document M (Access). Approved Document B (Fire).
    Common defectsCar size below AD M minimum (typically 1100×1400 mm)Handrail wrong heightNo tactile / Braille buttonsFloor finish damaged in transitCombustible interior in escape route lift

Commissioning

  1. 9.
    Load test completed
    What to look forStatic and dynamic load tests at rated load and 25% overload. Brake holds at 125%. Buffers tested at 115% rated speed. Speed control accurate (±5%). Test load made of certified weights.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20 Annex C / EN 81-50 (validation tests): static 125% rated load held; dynamic full speed tests; brake test 125%; buffer test at 115% rated speed.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020. BS EN 81-50:2020 (validation testing).
    Common defectsBrake slips at 125% — drum / shoe wearSpeed control out of tolerance — over-/under-shootsTest weights uncertifiedBuffer test omittedNo record of test results
  2. 10.
    Safety gear test completed
    What to look forOverspeed governor activates at design overspeed. Safety gear engages on rope cut / governor trip. Car stops within tolerance. Test made with certified weights and braking distance measured.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-20 / EN 81-50: governor trip at 115% rated speed; safety gear stops car within design distance per car mass + load; instantaneous safety gear for ≤ 0.63 m/s, progressive above.
    StandardBS EN 81-20:2020. BS EN 81-50:2020.
    Common defectsGovernor trip speed wrongSafety gear deceleration too sudden — passenger injury riskTest not witnessed by Notified Body for new installTest record incompleteSafety gear linkage seized
  3. 11.
    Emergency phone/alarm operational
    What to look forEmergency phone in car connects to monitored response (24/7 alarm receiving centre or staffed concierge). Auto-dial when alarm pressed. Two-way speech tested. Recharge / battery backup tested.
    Acceptable whenPer BS EN 81-28:2018: two-way voice with monitored centre; auto-call within 3 minutes of alarm press; battery backup ≥ 1 hour; failure indication.
    StandardBS EN 81-28:2018 — Remote alarm on passenger and goods lifts. Lift Regulations 2016.
    Common defectsPhone calls dummy number — no real responseNo two-way voice — only one-way alarmBattery flat — no power outage operationAuto-call delayed > 3 minCentre not 24/7
  4. 12.
    EN 81 compliance certificate issued
    What to look forDeclaration of Conformity per Lifts Regulations 2016 (UK) — covers BS EN 81-20/-50 compliance. CE/UKCA marking on car wall. Issued by lift installer with manufacturer Notified Body number.
    Acceptable whenPer Lifts Regulations 2016 / Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU: DoC issued before commissioning. CE/UKCA mark required. Notified Body involved per Annex (Module B+E typical for lifts).
    StandardLifts Regulations 2016 (UK SI 2016/1093). Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU. BS EN 81-20:2020.
    Common defectsNo DoC — non-compliant installCE/UKCA mark missingNotified Body number not on documentationWrong Module assessmentDoC date predates installation completion
  5. 13.
    Notified body inspection completed
    What to look forNotified Body witness inspection per Lifts Regulations 2016. Final examination report covers documentation, dynamic tests, safety component verification. Report in lift documentation.
    Acceptable whenPer Lifts Regulations 2016 / EN 81-50: Notified Body final examination required for lifts on the open market. UKCA / CE marking attests to compliance. Report retained.
    StandardLifts Regulations 2016. Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU. BS EN 81-50:2020.
    Common defectsNB not appointed — non-complianceNB report missing key elementsNB number wrong on DoCFinal examination not before handoverNo statutory thorough examination after install

Questions people ask

What is a lift installation QA inspection for?

To record that the work was checked against the specification before it was covered up or handed over: a pass or fail against each item, a measurement where one matters, and a photo where it failed. It is the evidence a client's quantity surveyor or clerk of works asks for, and the thing that settles the argument at final account.

What standards does this checklist check against?

Each item names its reference. On this checklist that includes BS EN 81-20:2020, BS EN 81-20:2020. Manufacturer installation manual., BS EN 81-20:2020. BS 8102:2022, BS EN 81-20:2020. BS EN 81-21:2018 (existing buildings)., BS EN 81-20:2020., BS EN 81-20:2020. BS EN 12385-5:2002+A1:2008. The contract specification and the approved drawings always take precedence over a general standard; where they say something stricter, inspect to that.

Who signs a QA inspection off?

The person who carried out the check, named and dated, and where the contract calls for it the client's representative as a witness. The signature records that the check was done and what was found. It is not a warranty of the work.

How many items are on it, and do I have to use them all?

13 checks across 3 sections. Delete what does not apply to the job and add anything the specification asks for that is not here. A checklist that has plainly been thought about carries more weight than a long one nobody read.

Is this useful for a subcontractor as well as a main contractor?

More so. The subcontractor is the one who gets asked to come back and open something up. A signed inspection sheet with photos at the time is the cheapest insurance on a construction site.

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