Overview
ISO/TS 18870:2014 - "Lifts (elevators) - Requirements for lifts used to assist in building evacuation" specifies requirements for passenger lifts intended to support a building's evacuation strategy. It defines lift-side features, operational modes and information exchange needed so lifts can be used safely during emergencies. The Technical Specification complements, but does not replace, building evacuation strategy or national building codes - those remain the responsibility of building designers and fire engineers.
Key topics and technical requirements
ISO/TS 18870:2014 covers practical lift design and operation issues for evacuation, including:
- Determination of number and size of lifts - principles for calculating lift handling capacity and accounting for lift unavailability.
- Protection of lift equipment - enclosure, temperature control, and pit water detection with graded responses (warnings vs. removal from service).
- Waiting and travelling environment - safe areas, car size considerations (wheelchair access), and prevention of panic/overloading.
- Operational reliability and recovery - measures for lift system reliability and automatic recovery after faults.
- Remote surveillance and control - integration with Fire Command Centre (FCC) and Building Management System (BMS) for supervision and decision-making.
- Communications and information - in-car and building signs, passenger announcements, and interfaces to emergency control systems.
- Overload prevention and detection - requirements to avoid unsafe loading of cars during evacuation.
- Evacuation service logic - initiation, description, cancellation, removal of cars, and role of Main Evacuation Exit Floor (MEEF) and Alternative Evacuation Exit Floor (AEEF).
- Documentation and information - data that lift suppliers must provide to building owners to support evacuation planning.
The specification also defines important terms (MEEF, AEEF, lift evacuation time/handling capacity) to ensure consistent design and testing of evacuation lifts.
Practical applications and who uses it
ISO/TS 18870 is intended for:
- Lift manufacturers and suppliers - to design evacuation-capable lifts and components.
- Lift designers and contractors - to calculate required handling capacity and layout.
- Building designers, fire engineers and architects - to coordinate lift capabilities with building evacuation strategy.
- Facility managers, emergency planners and building management teams - to integrate lifts with BMS and FCC and prepare evacuation procedures.
- Consultants assessing retrofit or new-build buildings where lifts are to assist evacuation.
Typical uses: specifying evacuation lift features in tender documents, validating lift performance for emergency scenarios, designing building control interfaces, and preparing operation and maintenance information for safety planning.
Related standards
- ISO 4190-5 (Lift installation - control devices, signals and additional fittings) - normative reference.
- ISO/TR 25743 - feasibility study referenced in the Specification’s introduction.
Keywords: lifts, elevators, building evacuation, evacuation lifts, MEEF, AEEF, lift evacuation time, handling capacity, BMS, Fire Command Centre.