Insights & resources

Plain-English guides for duty-holders.

Working notes for property managers, facilities teams and building owners — written by the engineers who do the work.

2016
Established: 300+
Sites covered: 800+
Lifts maintained: <1hr
Emergency response

LOLER explained: what duty-holders actually need to do

A plain-English guide to the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 — what counts as a thorough examination, who is responsible, and what happens if a defect is found.

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Modernisation·9 min read

When to modernise a lift — and what to upgrade first

Most lifts have a 20–25 year design life. We break down the warning signs, the highest-impact upgrades and how to phase modernisation across a tight budget.

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Engineering·6 min read

Hydraulic vs traction lifts: the honest comparison

Speed, energy use, capital cost, lifetime cost, environmental impact and ride quality — what the differences actually mean for your building.

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Buying·8 min read

How to choose a UK lift maintenance contractor

What to ask when comparing lift maintenance contracts — engineer numbers, response times, accreditations, exclusions and the small print that matters.

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Fundamentals·8 min read

Anatomy of a lift: what's actually behind the doors

A plain-English tour of every major lift component — motor room, controller, drive sheave, suspension ropes, counterweight, car, guide rails, governor, pit and buffers — with a labelled diagram you can save and share.

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Standards·10 min read

BS EN 81-20 and 81-50: the safety standards modern lifts are built to

Since September 2017, every new passenger and goods-passenger lift placed on the EU and UK market has had to be designed and tested to BS EN 81-20 and BS EN 81-50. This is a working guide to what those standards actually changed, what they require, and how to read a compliance statement.

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Buying·9 min read

Lift maintenance contracts: comprehensive, semi-comprehensive and basic — what's actually covered

The three contract tiers used across the UK lift industry are not standardised — what one contractor calls 'comprehensive' another calls 'parts and labour'. This is the working breakdown of what each tier should include, what is normally excluded, and where the margin disputes happen.

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Sustainability·8 min read

Lift energy use, ISO 25745 and the route to lower running costs

Lifts typically account for 3–10% of a commercial building's electrical load — more in residential. ISO 25745 is the standard that classifies lift energy performance and gives building owners a measurable route to lower running costs and lower carbon. This is the working guide.

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Compliance·9 min read

Firefighting and evacuation lifts: EN 81-72, EN 81-73 and BS 9999 in practice

Since the Building Safety Act 2022 and the post-Grenfell regulatory reform, firefighting and evacuation lifts have moved from a niche compliance topic to a central one for high-rise residential and large commercial buildings. This is what the standards actually require and what duty-holders need to evidence.

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Reference library