Testing and certification for safe lifts and components worldwide

In Europe, placing of lift systems on the market is regulated by the European Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU and the European Machinery Directive 2006/42/EC. In addition, the EN 81 series of standards specifies the requirements applicable to lifts and their components. As a Notified Body under the EU Lifts Directive, TÜV SÜD provides type examinations of lift systems and safety components as one of the crucial prerequisites for accessing the EU Single Market. TÜV SÜD also holds the accreditations and designations required to carry out testing and certification for all relevant markets worldwide, including the British market as well as Asian markets such as Singapore.

UKCA marking for the British market

In the wake of Brexit, the regulations for placing lifts and their components on the market in Great Britain (UK excluding Northern Ireland) have changed. All products for which CE marking was mandatory in the past will mandatorily require UKCA marking in the future. Even products that have already been certified will now need a new certificate. The transition period will end on 31 December 2022. TÜV SÜD supports manufacturers of lifts and components, helping them to meet the new requirements of the British market. “We have been accredited for this scope by United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) and are thus authorised to carry out certification in accordance with the new British Regulations“, says Jonas Conrady, Head of Department New Technologies Lifts at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service GmbH. This makes TÜV SÜD the first European Notified Body to also be recognised as an Approved Body for Great Britain, thus becoming a one-stop shop for certification for both the European and British markets.

Functional safety and cybersecurity

More and more modern lifts now include embedded IT systems, which collect data and support connectivity with the surrounding infrastructure as well as with manufacturers or lifts’ servicing and maintenance companies. These increasing levels of interconnectivity and the options of remote diagnosis, failure clearance and maintenance save costs and improve lift availability. However, they also give rise to new risks which may affect safety and security of the data shared in this way, and thus may ultimately impair the safety and availability of the lift systems.

To make innovative products and solutions marketable, specialist industry knowledge can be combined with expertise from neighbouring areas. “Where performance of risk assessment and determination of safety integrity levels (SIL) are necessary, for example, the EN 81 standard refers to the IEC 61508, a cross-industry series of standards governing the functional safety of safety-related systems”, explains Dr Rolf Zöllner, Head of the Centre of Competence – Functional Safety at TÜV SÜD Industrie Service. The specific requirements for the functional safety of lift systems are defined in EN 81-20 and EN 81-50. They also include the use of programmable electronic systems in safety-related applications for lifts (PESSRAL).

As digitalisation advances in the lift industry, assessment of the software used is also becoming increasingly important for ensuring lift safety. As yet, the associated requirements are not covered by the available standards. However, the international IEC 62443 series of standards now offers a good basis for assessing IT security of industrial automation and control systems (IACS) and for developing effective measures to protect these systems. “The normative reference, in turn, is ensured via IEC 61508”, continues Zöllner. TÜV SÜD issued the world’s first certificates in accordance with IEC 62443 as early as 2016. “This demonstrates that we closely accompany technological developments and innovations and provide intensive support”, stresses Dieter Roas, Business Unit Manager Lifts and Machinery at TÜV SÜD. “Lift and component manufacturers and distributors benefit from our targeted combination of industry know-how with our experts‘ wide-ranging specialist knowledge in disciplines such as functional safety and cybersecurity.”

Further information about TÜV SÜD’s services for the lift industry are available at www.tuvsud.com/lift-certification.