We take pride in offering high-quality services and products that are centred on the needs of the customer. By installing a lift by Acute, you can be sure you are abiding by all access laws and requirements, whether the location is your own or one of your clients.
We understand that there may be many questions and that the best answers aren't always evident, so with that in mind, we cordially welcome you to get in touch with us to discuss your project's needs. You can be confident that Acute’s lift solutions are suited to their intended use. All our Passenger lifts are designed and installed in line with EN81-20/50, the UK lift regulations 2012 and tested and UKCA certified by our notified body.

Platform lifts, wheelchair lifts and goods and service lifts are UKCA marked in compliance with all UK regulations and safety requirements. A one-year warranty and service agreement is included with the purchase of each lift. Once expired, we offer a renewal contract, scheduling the lift's maintenance based on its model and usage for the new contract duration. This section is here to guide you, but if you need clarification or have any questions at any stage, please contact our team.

The Equality Act has superseded the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA), which offered protection from disability-related discrimination in 1995. This new law tries to strike a balance once more between giving a disabled person the ability to prove that they are having a problem because of their disability and giving an employer or other party the chance to defend the treatment.

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) compelled service providers to grant access to the less abled, particularly wheelchair users. The DDA's requirements are expanded upon by the Equality Act. When specifying products for buildings, it's important to take into account the Equality Act, which took the place of the Disability Discrimination Act (1995), or DDA, on October 1, 2010.

INTRODUCTION TO THE EQUALITY ACT
The majority of the Disability Discrimination Act was replaced by the Equality Act on October 1,2010. (DDA). The Act attempts to end bias toward those who are less able. It now grants less able people rights in the following areas: education, work, renting or purchasing land or property, access to goods, facilities, and services, activities, clubs, sports, and associations. This is a major expansion over the past ten years. The provision of a lifting platform may offer a remedy if this constraint affects vertical circulation within a building.

OBLIGATIONS UNDER THE EQUALITY ACT
Service providers and employers are required to comply with Equality Act obligations by making reasonable measures and/or adaptations to address physical barriers that prevent those who are less able from accessing facilities. A physical feature is overcome when it is either removed, changed such that it has no longer any impact, a different access point is provided, or services are made accessible to the less able in another way.

BUILDING DESIGN
To ensure adherence to the Equality Act, it is the responsibility of the building designer to guarantee access for the less able. Vertical circulation can be accomplished by using devices like ramps, lifts, or lifting platforms. Contrary to popular belief, the Equality Act does not specify equipment.

ACCESS STATEMENT
The type of lifting device that building designers feel is most appropriate, given the location and usage, among other variables, might subsequently be proposed within the access statement. Building designers will be able to meet their duties under the Equality Act if they incorporate personnel lifting equipment that are compatible with statutory restrictions. Platform lift requirements can be found in Part M of the Building Regulations, as well as in BS:8300 (called up within the rule), BS:6440, and EN81-41.

All platform lifts supplied by Acute come under the jurisdiction of the Machinery Directive2006/42/EC.

AN OVERVIEW OF PART M, VERTICAL CIRCULATION WITHIN A BUILDING.

Addressing the accessibility and navigational needs of all visitors and users, including those with impairments. The requirements for accessible and risk-free buildings are outlined in these regulations. To guarantee that all commercial buildings met the needs of people with disabilities, Part M of the Building Regulations was adopted in 1985. All possible users of the building must have adequate access to public buildings, this must be adopted during the planning and construction phases. Part M was extended to include the construction of new residences. Frequently, planning permission will not be obtained if Part M is not followed.

EN81-41:STANDARD FOR PLATFORM LIFTS

‍The standard for vertical platform lifts is EN 81-41 to which our products comply. It was created for products intended for use by persons with impaired mobility. This standard was as accepted by the CEN Member States by Formal Vote on 06 January 2009.
The EN 81-41 standard gives presumption of conformity to the Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. This standard makes it easier for the relevant authorities, architects and planners to understand and for notified bodies to assess the safety requirements for vertical platform lifts.
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The EN 81-41 standard has improved and raised the safety requirements of platform lifts, for the benefit of the users.

All Acute Elevators products are in full compliance with the safety requirements of the standard EN 81-41 and are UKCA certified.

‍EN81-20-50STANDARD FOR PASSENGER LIFTS

Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts. Lifts for the transport of persons and goods Passenger and goods passenger liftsEN81-20defines the technical requirements for the construction of lifts. EN81-50covers the design rules, calculations, tests and examination of lift components. They both replace the old EN81-1 and EN81-2 standards. EN81-21STANDARD FOR LOW PIT LOW HEADROOM LIFTSEN81-21 specifies the safety rules related to passenger and goods/passenger lifts installed in existing buildings where limitations enforced by certain building constraints mean that some requirements of EN 81-20:2020 cannot be met.

It addresses the following constraints and gives requirements for alternative solutions:·        

Existing perforate walls of the lift well.
Reduction in available well are leading to reduced distance between car, counterweight, or balancing weight.  
Counterweight or balancing weight in a separate existing well.
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Reduced building dimensions and clearances leading to -
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Reductions in available space for headroom and pit.
Reduced car roof balustrade dimensions.
Reduced height of sill apron.
Reduced height of machine and/or pulley room.
Reduced available area for access door/trap door.
Reduction in available height of landing doors.

For advice on this, please feel free to contact us.

The first step in making sure your lift installation is done well, first time, on schedule, and within budget is a thorough site survey, complete with drawings for your lift installation that are site and product specific. This survey will be conducted by one of our experienced in-house surveyors.

Any obstacles and challenges related to site, building types, and working situations are all areas in which our highly skilled team of surveyors excels. After the site evaluation and risk assessment are complete, they will provide one of our CAD designers instructions to produce a set of site-specific drawings outlining any remaining building work or requirements necessary for the lift installation to be undertaken.

Our lifts are completed on schedule thanks to our laser-focused, ISO9001-driven strategy. You and your team can proceed with building control approval more quickly and know that this element of your project is assured, as our reporting prevents any delays and corrective work post installation.

Having a functional lift alone does not constitute proper lift installation. Our rigorous approach aims to reduce errors and delays, preventing expensive additional works for the project. Our skilled and experienced lift installation experts arrive at the work site before our transport, and ensure that the lift installation is executed correctly, on schedule, and with the least amount of disruption to ongoing activities.

The installation will be finished in accordance with our method declarations and site-specific drawings. Our experts will get the installation approved by your site team before departing the job site.

A thorough 12-month warranty on all our products is included, along with a minimum of two on-site services. Depending on the lift's location and usage, more maintenance visits may be advised. We provide a variety of aftercare packages for purchase, ensuring continuity of service and our team of experienced engineers on hand when you need them, to give you piece of mind in the years to come.