The British adoption of the European EN 81 series of safety standards for lifts, escalators, and moving walks, forming the principal technical compliance framework in the UK.
Full Definition
BS EN 81 is the British Standards Institution (BSI) adoption of the European Committee for Standardization (CEN) EN 81 series. In the UK, compliance with BS EN 81-20 (Safety rules for construction and installation of lifts — passenger and goods passenger lifts) and BS EN 81-50 (design rules, calculations, examinations and tests of lift components) establishes the presumption of conformity with the essential health and safety requirements of the UK Lift Regulations 2016 (the post-Brexit equivalent of the EU Lift Directive). The BS prefix indicates BSI publication; technically the standard is identical to EN 81. Other key parts include BS EN 81-70 (accessibility for disabled), BS EN 81-71 (vandal-resistant lifts), BS EN 81-72 (firefighter lifts), BS EN 81-76 (evacuation of persons), and BS EN 81-28 (remote alarm). Together they form the comprehensive technical compliance framework for lifts in the UK.
