NCC 2019 Volume One
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Classification
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Classification
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Part E3 Lift installations

Part E3 Lift installations

Performance Requirements

EP3.1 Stretcher facilities

Stretcher facilities must be provided, to the degree necessary—

(a)

in at least one emergency lift required by EP3.2; or

(b)

where an emergency lift is not required and a passenger lift is provided, in at least one lift, to serve each floor in the building served by the passenger lift.

The Objective of this Part is to—

(a)

facilitate the safe movement of occupants; and

(b)

facilitate access for emergency services personnel to carry out emergency procedures and assist in the evacuation of occupants.

All people using a building, including those with disabilities, must be able to travel safely in a lift. Lifts must help emergency services personnel to evacuate sick or injured people. Lifts should also help the fire brigade to transport firefighters and their equipment.

Where a passenger lift is provided, it is to facilitate safe and easy—

(a)

movement for occupants with a disability; and

(b)

evacuation of occupants, who due to illness or injury need stretcher assistance.

EF3.1 only applies where a passenger lift is provided. Under EF3.1(a), the lift must be suitable for people with a disability.

A building is to be provided with one or more passenger lifts to facilitate—

(a)

the safe access for emergency services personnel; and

(b)

safe and easy evacuation of occupants who due to illness, injury or disability cannot use stairways in the event of an emergency.

Application:

Application:

EF3.2 only applies to—

  1. a building with an effective height of more than 25 m; and
  2. a Class 9a building in which patient care areas are located above a level with direct access to a road or open space.

In high-rise buildings and those Class9a buildings that have patient care areas above road or open space level, a lift must be able to assist emergency services personnel such as:

  • ambulance officers carrying equipment to assist a sick or injured person; and
  • the fire brigade with equipment.

Lifts in these buildings must also assist with the evacuation of any person unable to use a stairway unassisted.

A building having a passenger lift is to be provided with measures to alert occupants about the use of the lift in an emergency.

Under EP3.1(a), where emergency lifts are required under EP3.2, at least one of those required lifts, to the degree necessary, must have stretcher facilities. Where there is a single emergency lift it must be the stretcher lift.

Under EP3.1(b), where passenger lifts are provided (and EP3.1(a) does not apply because an emergency lift is not required under EP3.2), at least one of those passenger lifts must have stretcher facilities.

When a person becomes injured in a building, a stretcher may be needed to evacuate them.

EP3.1 does not contain any specification of what is acceptable as “stretcher facilities”. However, as a guide, E3.2 contains suitable dimensions for a lift car required to accommodate a stretcher.

EP3.2 Emergency lifts

One or more passenger lifts fitted as emergency lifts to serve each floor served by the lifts in a building must be installed to facilitate the activities of the fire brigade and other emergency services personnel.

Application:

Application:

EP3.2 only applies to—

  1. a building with an effective height of more than 25 m; and
  2. a Class 9a building in which patient care areas are located at a level that does not have direct access to a road or open space.

In high-rise buildings (i.e. with an effective height of more than 25 metres), and those Class 9a buildings which have patient care areas above road or open space level, a lift must be available to aid the fire brigade and any other emergency services personnel.

Emergency lifts must service the same floors as any other lift. Therefore, if a level such as a plant-room level does not have any lifts serving it, there is no necessity to provide an emergency lift service to that plant-room level.

EP3.3 Emergency alerts

Signs or other means must be provided to alert occupants about the use of a lift during an emergency.

A suitable notice must be provided, or other measure taken, to alert people about the use of a lift during a fire or other emergency. This applies to all passenger lifts.

EP3.4 Lift access for people with a disability

When a passenger lift is provided in a building required to be accessible, it must be suitable for use by people with a disability.

EP3.4 should be read in conjunction with Part D3. Where access to upper floors is provided by lifts to satisfy Part D3, or where lifts are installed in a building that is required to be accessible under Part D3, those lifts must be suitable for use by people with a disability.

E3.6 provides information on limitations to the use of various types of passenger lifts in certain situations. It also provides information on the size of lift cars and platforms, the application of features such as lighting, door opening widths, handrails and audible and visual information for specific lift types.

Verification Methods

EV3.1 Fire Safety Verification Method

Compliance with EP3.2 is verified when a building is designed in accordance with Schedule 7.

EV3.1 is a means to verify that an automatic warning system complies with E P3.3 to alert occupants about the use of lifts in an emergency, and requires a sound system that activates when a building fire is detected. This method acts as an alternative to the Deemed to Satisfy method of using signage to alert occupants about the use of lifts in an emergency.

EV3.1 nominates that the automatic warning system must be designed to cancel the normal operation of lift call buttons, thereby compelling occupants to use regulated evacuation routes. The automatic warning system must be capable of being manually overridden by emergency personnel in order to minimise any impact on fire-fighting activities.

EV3.2 Emergency alerts on the use of lifts

(a)

Compliance with Performance Requirement EP3.3 is verified when building occupants are provided with automatic warning that lifts must not be used during a fire emergency.

(b)

The automatic warning must—

(i)

be initiated by a smoke hazard management system complying with Part E2; and

(ii)

be provided via a sound system complying with the relevant provisions of AS 1670.4; and

(iii)

have a flashing warning sign installed in accordance with AS 1670.4 clause 4.3.9 displaying the words "do not use lift".