EN 81-41 vs EN 81-40: Platform Lift Standards Explained
EN 81-41 covers vertical lifting platforms; EN 81-40 covers stairlifts and inclined platform lifts. Here’s what that means when choosing a lift.
The EN 81 family in brief
EN 81 is a family of European safety standards for lifts, adopted in the UK as BS EN standards. Different parts cover different types of equipment:
Passenger lifts in buildings are covered by other parts of the family, with EN 81-70 covering their accessibility.
EN 81-41 covers vertical lifting platforms for people with impaired mobility.
EN 81-40 covers stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms for people with impaired mobility.
EN 81-41 vs EN 81-40 at a glance
EN 81-41 | EN 81-40 | |
|---|---|---|
Covers | Vertical lifting platforms | Stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms |
Direction of travel | Vertical, or close to it | Along the line of a staircase or slope |
Typical products | Step lifts, platform lifts in an enclosure | Seated stairlifts, standing stairlifts, wheelchair platform stairlifts |
Typical uses | Entrance steps, split levels, short rises between floors | Getting up and down an existing staircase |
Example | The Opal step lift | The Garaventa Artira |
EN 81-41: vertical lifting platforms
EN 81-41 covers electrically powered vertical lifting platforms fixed to a building, used by people with impaired mobility with or without a wheelchair. The 2024 edition limits speed to 0.15 m/s and covers platforms whose path is within 15 degrees of vertical. It applies to platforms where the carrier is not completely enclosed, including those running in an enclosed liftway. Fully enclosed cabin lifts fall outside its scope, so ask your installer which standard applies to those.
Step lifts are the most common example. The Opal step lift is built to EN 81-41. See our step lift for home guide for how these lifts are used.
EN 81-40: stairlifts and inclined lifting platforms
EN 81-40 covers lifts that travel along a staircase or inclined surface. That includes seated stairlifts, standing stairlifts and wheelchair platform stairlifts — the folding platforms that carry a wheelchair user up the stairs. The Garaventa Artira is built to EN 81-40. Our wheelchair platform lift for stairs guide covers these lifts in detail.
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Why the standard matters when you buy
It tells you what the lift is. A lift built to EN 81-41 is a vertical platform; one built to EN 81-40 runs along a staircase. If the standard doesn’t match the job, ask why.
It helps you compare quotes. Two quotes for “a platform lift” may be for quite different products. The standard is a quick way to check.
It supports building control and insurance. Building control, insurers and LOLER examiners will want to see that the lift meets the relevant standard.
Ask for the paperwork. At handover you should receive the declaration of conformity and the manufacturer’s documentation. Keep them with your service records.
How the standards fit with UK law
Standards aren’t laws on their own, but they are the usual way of showing a lift meets the essential safety requirements. Platform lifts travelling at no more than 0.15 m/s are generally treated as machinery under UK law rather than as passenger lifts, which is why these standards matter. Building work must also meet Approved Document M — see our platform lift building regulations guide — and lifts used at work need LOLER examinations, covered in our commercial platform lift guide.
Questions to ask an installer
Which standard is this lift built to?
Is the edition current, and will I receive the declaration of conformity?
Does the proposed lift meet Approved Document M for this building?
What servicing and inspection does it need, and how often?
For a wider comparison of lift types, see our accessible lifts guide.
Arrange a survey
The right standard follows from the right lift, and the right lift follows from your building. A survey settles both, free and with no obligation. Tell us about your project and we’ll match you with vetted installers who cover your area. Installers pay us only when we refer a genuine enquiry, so our interest is in matching you well.
