A low-rise lifting device designed primarily for wheelchair users and people with mobility impairments to travel between two or more levels, typically over short vertical rises up to 3 m.
Full Definition
Platform lifts (sometimes called wheelchair lifts) differ from passenger elevators in that they have a lower duty cycle, reduced speed (≤0.15 m/s for open-platform or ≤0.30 m/s for enclosed variants under EN 81-41), and are designed for vertical rises generally under 3 m (though EN 81-42 covers inclined platform lifts). EN 81-41:2010 covers vertical platform lifts serving persons with impaired mobility. Key design features: open or enclosed car platform (minimum 900 × 1 400 mm for wheelchair access), collapsible or full-height landing gates, electro-hydraulic or screw-drive actuation, and safety gear or anti-fall device preventing uncontrolled descent. Platform lifts are typically installed in heritage buildings where a full shaft is impractical, residential conversions, and retail refurbishments. They do not require a deep pit or full hoistway and are exempt from the Lifts Directive when not accessible to the general public.
