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ISO 8100-1:2019: the standard that decides whether a lift is safe

The international lift safety standard, explained through what actually protects whoever steps into the car.

Vertical transportation

From EN 81-20 to ISO 8100-1

For decades the lift safety reference in Europe was EN 81-20. ISO 8100-1:2019 takes that body of requirements and turns it into an international standard, so a lift installed in Lima, Madrid or Bogotá can be measured against the same yardstick.

Part 1 covers the construction and installation of passenger and goods passenger lifts: the shaft, the car, the doors, the traction machine, the suspension elements and the safety devices. It is not a maintenance manual — it is the list of what the equipment must carry and how it is checked to work.

In Peru it does not replace the National Building Regulations, but it is the technical standard serious manufacturers and installers use to define what gets fitted and what gets tested before commissioning.

Devices

What the standard requires on board

Safety gear and overspeed governor

If the car exceeds its intended speed, the governor trips and the safety gear grips the guide rails. This is the device that prevents free fall.

Interlocked doors

The car cannot move with a landing door open, and landing doors must not open unless the car is within the unlocking zone.

Buffers in the pit

At the end of travel, buffers absorb the impact if the car or counterweight descends beyond the lowest level.

Safety spaces and refuge

Both the pit and the headroom must keep a clear volume so a technician cannot be trapped between the car and the structure.

Emergency lighting and alarm

During a power cut the car keeps its light and a two-way means of communication with someone who can actually answer — not just a bell.

Manual passenger rescue

The equipment must allow the car to be moved to the nearest landing and the door opened, following a defined procedure and by trained staff.

What to check before signing a maintenance contract

Ask how often the safety gear and governor are tested, and request the signed protocol of the last test. Maintenance that only greases rails and cleans the pit is not verifying what saves lives.

Check that the emergency intercom reaches a person, not an answering machine. This is the point that most often fails in residential buildings, and the one that turns an entrapment at eleven at night into an ordeal.

Require the log of interventions in the machine room or the equipment folder: date, technician, what was checked and what was replaced. Without that logbook there is no way to know whether the lift has gone six months or six years without an adjustment.

See lift services

What to check before signing a maintenance contract

Frequently asked questions

Can an old lift comply with ISO 8100-1?+

An old unit was designed to the standard of its time. The usual route is a risk assessment followed by a staged modernization: control system, doors, levelling and safety devices.

How often should a lift be serviced?+

Frequency depends on usage and on the manufacturer, but in residential buildings the usual interval is monthly, with safety tests carried out at scheduled visits through the year.

What should I do if someone is trapped?+

Nobody should try to force the doors. Use the alarm or the intercom and wait for trained staff: manual rescue requires the equipment to be locked out before the car is moved.

Does the standard cover goods lifts and platforms?+

Part 1 focuses on passenger and goods passenger lifts. Other lifting equipment is additionally assessed under ISO 12100, the general machinery safety standard.

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