Lift shaft ventilation is subject to national and European standards and laws covering three separate subjects:
Relevant standards and laws governing lift shaft ventilation
BlueKit combines energy efficiency and safety whilst maintaining product conformity
Below, all the relevant statutory standards are presented in brief. Each section shows you how BlueKit implements and conforms in practice with the law.
Safety
Lift standard EN 81-20
Harmonised standard EN 81-20 has been in force since 2017. It stipulates minimum requirements for the safety of lift users in the lift car and people working in the lift shaft or machine room. To ensure an adequate and constant supply of breathing air, appropriate ventilation for the lift shaft is required for normal conditions, for stops for longer than normal and if the lift car malfunctions. The minimum opening required by predecessor versions of EN 81-1 and EN 81-2 (1% of the area of the lift shaft base) is no longer appropriate for the ventilation of lift systems in properties with ever greater airtightness specifications as it does not comply with present-day technological standards for ventilation.
Instead of regulating the complex set of ventilation problems by means of normative requirements, EN 81-20 points out, in the information in Appendix E.3, that the safety and well-being of people using the lift, working in the shaft or, if the car is jammed between two floors, trapped in the car or in the shaft, are particularly dependent on the following factors:
- Ambient shaft temperature in the building
- Volatile organic compounds, CO2, air quality
- Supply of fresh air in the shaft
- Humidity, dust, smoke
- Airtightness of the shaft and the whole building
In practice:
The BlueKit system contributes significantly to observance of the requirements contained in Appendix E.3 for the safety and well-being of lift users.
Recommendation for use NB /L REC 02/027
NB/L REC 02/027 is a Recommendation for Use. Based on the Lift Directive, it recommends calling for action on the use of ventilation systems in lift shafts. According to NB /L REC 02/027, a ventilation system in a lift shaft is:
- part of the building's ventilation design
- not separate from the lift because it contributes to the safety of lift systems
- not to be used for any purpose other than ventilating the lift shaft
In practice:
The BlueKit system meets the provisions of NB /L REC 02/027 for a ventilation system in a lift shaft.
Product safety
The safety of our systems and, with that, satisfaction of all the relevant standards have top priority for us. This also includes, for our partners and customers, the certainty that they are buying a recognised and licensed product.
Most of the standards affecting us are defined at European level. You can find the relevant certifications in our specification as well as in the operating manual.
CE labelling and Declaration of Performance
The CE mark is indispensable for the marketing of products within the European Economic Area. The CE mark is proof that the product conforms with the relevant European directives, particularly with respect to health and safety.
In practice:
BlueKit systems use CE-conforming products.