Part E3 Lift installations
Introduction to this Part
This Part is intended to ensure that lifts are safe to use, including by people with a disability and emergency services personnel. This Part is also intended to ensure occupants know when lifts should not be used (e.g. during a fire) and, in the event of lift malfunction, for conditions in a lift car to remain tenable and occupants to able to call for assistance.
Objectives
E3O1
Objective
2019: EO3
The Objective of this Part is to—
- facilitate the safe movement of occupants; and
- facilitate access for emergency services personnel to carry out emergency procedures and assist in the evacuation of occupants.
Functional Statements
E3F1
Passenger lifts
2019: EF3.1
Where a passenger lift is provided, it is to facilitate safe and easy—
- movement for occupants with a disability; and
- evacuation of occupants, who due to illness or injury need stretcher assistance.
E3F2
Emergency lifts
2019: EF3.2
A building is to be provided with one or more passenger lifts to facilitate—
- the safe access for emergency services personnel; and
- safe and easy evacuation of occupants who due to illness, injury or disability cannot use stairways in the event of an emergency.
Applications
E3F2 only applies to—
- a building with an effective height of more than 25 m; and
- a Class 9a building in which patient care area are located above a level with direct access to a road or open space.
E3F3
Emergency alerts
2019: EF3.3
A building having a passenger lift is to be provided with measures to alert occupants about the use of the lift in an emergency.
Performance Requirements
E3P1
Stretcher facilities
2019: EP3.1
E3P2
Emergency lifts
2019: EP3.2
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.
Applications
E3P2 only applies to—
- a building with an effective height of more than 25 m; and
- 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.
E3P3
Emergency alerts
2019: EP3.3
Signs or other means must be provided to alert occupants about the use of a lift during an emergency.
E3P4
Lift access for people with a disability
2019: EP3.4
When a passenger lift is provided in a building required to be accessible, it must be suitable for use by people with a disability.
Verification Methods
E3V1
Fire Safety Verification Method
2019: EV3.1
E3V2
Emergency alerts on the use of lifts
2019: EV3.2
- be initiated by a smoke hazard management system complying with Part E2; and
- be provided via a sound system complying with the relevant provisions of AS 1670.4; and
- have a flashing warning sign installed in accordance with AS 1670.4 displaying the words “do not use lift”.
Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions
E3D1
Deemed-to-Satisfy Provisions
2019: E3.0
- E3D2 to E3D12; and
- for a building containing an occupiable outdoor area, Part G6; and
- for public transport buildings, Part I2.
E3D2
Lift installations
2019: E3.1
An electric passenger lift installation and an electrohydraulic passenger lift installation must comply with Specification 24.
E3D3
Stretcher facility in lifts
2019: E3.2
- in at least one emergency lift required by E3D5; or
- where an emergency lift is not required, if passenger lifts are installed to serve any storey above an effective height of 12 m, in at least one of those lifts to serve each floor served by the lifts.
E3D4
Warning against use of lifts in fire
2019: E3.3
- incised, inlaid or embossed letters on a metal, wood, plastic or similar plate securely and permanently attached to the wall; or
- letters incised or inlaid directly into the surface of the material forming the wall.
E3D5
Emergency lifts
2019: E3.4
- a building which has an effective height of more than 25 m; and
- a Class 9a building in which patient care areas are located at a level that does not have direct egress to a road or open space.
- be contained within a fire-resisting shaft in accordance with C3D11; and
- in a Class 9a building serving a patient care area—
- have minimum dimensions, measured clear of all obstructions, including handrails, etc complying with Table E3D5; and
- be connected to a standby power supply system where installed; and
- if the building has an effective height of more than 75 m, have a rating of at least—
- 600 kg if not provided with a stretcher facility; or
- 900 kg if provided with a stretcher facility.
Lift component | Minimum dimension (mm) |
---|---|
Minimum depth of car | 2280 |
Minimum width of car | 1600 |
Minimum floor to ceiling height | 2300 |
Minimum door height | 2100 |
Minimum door width | 1300 |
E3D6
Landings
2019: E3.5
E3D7
Passenger lift types and their limitations
2019: E3.6, Table E3.6a, Table E3.6b
- There are no limitations on the use of electric passenger lifts, electrohydraulic passenger lifts or inclined lifts.
-
Stairway platform lifts must not—
- be used to serve a space in a building accommodating more than 100 persons calculated according to D2D18; or
- be used in a high traffic public use area such as a theatre, cinema, auditorium, transport interchange, shopping centre or the like; or
- be used where it is possible to install another type of passenger lift; or
- connect more than 2 storeys; or
- where more than 1 stairway lift is installed, serve more than 2 consecutive storeys; or
- when in the folded position, encroach on the minimum width of a stairway required by D2D8 to D2D11.
- A low-rise platform lift must not travel more than 1000 mm.
- A low-rise, low-speed constant pressure lift must not—
- for an enclosed type, travel more than 4 m; or
- for an unenclosed type, travel more than 2 m; or
- be used in a high traffic public use areas in buildings such as a theatre, cinema, auditorium, transport interchange, shopping complex or the like.
- A small-sized, low-speed automatic lift must not travel more than 12 m.
E3D8
Accessible features required for passenger lifts
2019: Table E3.6a, Table E3.6b
In an accessible building, every passenger lift must have the following features where applicable:
- A handrail complying with the provisions for a mandatory handrail in AS 1735.12 for all lifts except—
- a stairway platform lift; and
- a low-rise platform lift.
- Lift floor dimensions of not less than 1400 mm wide x 1600 mm deep for all lifts which travel more than 12 m.
- Lift floor dimensions of not less than 1100 mm wide x 1400 mm deep for all lifts which travel not more than 12 m, except a stairway platform lift.
- Lift floor dimensions of not less than 810 mm wide x 1200 mm deep for a stairway platform lift.
- Minimum clear door opening complying with AS 1735.12 for all lifts except a stairway platform lift.
- Passenger protection system complying with AS 1735.12 for all lifts with power-operated doors.
- Lift landing doors at the upper landing for all lifts except a stairway platform lift.
- Lift car and landing control buttons complying with AS 1735.12 for all lifts except—
- a stairway platform lift; and
- a low-rise platform lift.
- Lighting in accordance with AS 1735.12 for all enclosed lift cars.
- For all lifts serving more than 2 levels—
- automatic audible information within the lift car to identify the level each time the car stops; and
- audible and visual indication at each lift landing to indicate the arrival of the lift car; and
- audible information and audible indication required by (i) and (ii) is to be provided in a range of between 20 - 80 dB(A) at a maximum frequency of 1500 Hz.
- Emergency hands-free communication, including a button that alerts a call centre of a problem and a light to signal that the call has been received, for all lifts except a stairway platform lift.
E3D9
Fire service controls
2019: E3.7
Where lifts serve any storey above an effective height of 12 m, the following must be provided:
E3D10
Residential care buildings
2019: E3.8
- at least one lift to accommodate a stretcher in accordance with E3D3(2); or
- a ramp in accordance with AS 1428.1.
E3D11
Fire service recall control switch
2019: E3.9
- be located at the landing nominated by the appropriate authority; and
- be labelled “FIRE SERVICE” in indelible white lettering on a red background; and
- have two positions with an “OFF” and an “ON” position identified; and
- be operable only by the use of a key that is removable in either the “OFF” position or the “ON” position.
- switching the fire service recall control switch in (1) to “ON”; or
- a signal from a fire management system approved by the appropriate authority.
- cancel all registered car and landing calls; and
- inactivate all door reopening devices that may be affected by smoke; and
- ensure lift cars travelling toward the nominated floor continue to the nominated floor without stopping; and
- ensure lift cars travelling away from the nominated floor stop at or before the next available floor without opening the doors (either automatically or by the door open button), reverse direction and travel without stopping to the nominated floor; and
- for lifts stopped at a floor other than the nominated floor, close the doors and travel without stopping to the nominated floor; and
- ensure that lifts stay at the nominated floor with doors open; and
- permit all lifts to return to normal service if the fire service recall control switch at (1) is switched to the “OFF” position during or after the fire service recall operation.
E3D12
Lift car fire service drive control switch
2019: E3.10
- be located between 600 mm and 1500 mm above the lift car floor; and
- be labelled “FIRE SERVICE” by indelible white lettering on a red background; and
- have two positions with an “OFF” and an “ON” position identified; and
- operate only by the use of a key that is removable in either the “OFF” position or the “ON” position.
- not respond to the fire service recall control switch; and
- cancel all registered lift car and landing calls; and
- override all lift car call access control systems; and
- inactivate all door reopening devices that may be affected by smoke; and
- allow the registration of lift car call by lift car call buttons, however the lift doors must not close in response to the registration of lift car calls; and
- activate door closing by constant pressure being applied on the “door close” button unless the button is released before the doors are fully closed, in which case the doors must reopen and any registered lift car calls must be cancelled; and
- when the doors are closed, move the lift in response to registered lift car calls while allowing additional lift car calls to also be registered; and
- travel to the first possible floor in response to registered lift car calls and cancel all registered lift car calls after the lift stops; and
- ensure doors do not open automatically, rather by constant pressure being applied on the “door open” button unless the button is released before the doors are fully open, in which case the doors must re-close.
- are able to communicate to the fire officer that the fire service drive control switch will not operate until all decks have been cleared of passengers; and
- ensure there is an appropriate method of clearing all deck landings of passengers; and
- maintain all doors to deck landings not containing the fire service control switch closed and inoperative while the lift is on fire service drive control.