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DIN EN 81-41 is now available and the Technical Committee CEN/TC10 “Lifts, escalators and moving walks” has published the draft of EN 81-28:2024. The most important changes.

By Jan König

DIN EN 81-41 has been published. "Special lifts for the transport of persons and goods – Part 41: Vertical lifting platforms for use by persons with impaired mobility."

EN 81-41:2025 was published by the Technical Committee CEN/TC10 "Lifts, escalators and moving walks" in September 2024. It was implemented nationally as DIN EN 81-41:2025 with the July 2025 issue. It replaces DIN EN 81-41:2011-09.

Relevance

The subject of the standard is the safety requirements for the manufacture, installation, maintenance and dismantling of electrically-operated vertical platform lifts fixed to a building structure, intended for use by persons with reduced mobility:

• travelling vertically between predefined levels, along a guided route whose vertical inclination does not exceed 15°;
• intended for use by persons with or without a wheelchair;
• supported or sustained by means of sprocket and chain, ropes, chains, screw and nut, friction/adhesion between wheels and guide, guided chain, pantograph mechanism or hydraulic piston (direct or indirect)
• with reinforced shafts;
• with speed not exceeding 0.15 m/s;
• with load-carrier not completely enclosed.

Changes

The following changes were made compared to DIN EN EN81-41:2011-09:

• amendments to DIN EN 81-20/50;
• consideration of elastomer-coated steel girder suspension mounts;
• new Annex H – building interfaces;
• editorial revision of the document.

DIN EN 81-28 draft published

In addition, the draft DIN EN 81-28 "Lifts for the transport of persons and goods – Part 28: Two-way communication system to contact a rescue service" has been published.

EN 81-41:2024 was published by the Technical Committee CEN/TC10 "Lifts, escalators and moving walks" in June 2024. It was implemented nationally as the draft DIN EN 81-28:2025 with the September 2025 issue. It is intended to be the replacement for DIN EN 81-28:2022-08.

Relevance

This document specifies the technical requirements for emergency call systems for passenger and goods lifts as described in the EN 81 series.

This includes:

• activation of the alarm,
• transmission of the alarm,
• information on use and maintenance,
• tests of the lift to verify the effectiveness of the requirements of this document before the lift is used.

This does not include:

• failure of the communication network (see Annex A), including the signal strength of the mobile communications networks or comparable network;
• failure of the power supply in a geographical area that does not simultaneously result in people being trapped in all lifts.
• this document deals with the following significant risks, dangerous situations or incidents that are relevant for the lift if it is used according to regulations and subject to abusive conditions that could be reasonably foreseen by the manufacturer.
• risk of being trapped for users in the car and shaft.

This document is not to be used for emergency call systems installed before its publication.

Changes

The following changes were made compared to DIN EN 81-28:2022-08:

• editorial corrections to promote comprehensibility;
• the term "Alarm" status was changed to "Warning" status;
• the terms "emergency call system" and "emergency unit" were replaced by "two-way voice communication system";
• clarification and modification of requirements;
• changes to the verification of safety-relevant requirements and/or protective measures;
• the Annex ZA was updated;
• standard editorially revised.

The author is the owner of Ingenieurbüros (VDI) Ing4Lifts and is a member of the LIFTjournal Advisory Board.

Additional links: Table of contents DIN EN 81-41:2025
DIN EN 81-41:2025 at Beuth
Table of contents draft DIN EN 81-28:2025
Draft DIN EN 81-28:2025 at Beuth