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PART M of the BUILDING REGULATIONS

These are abbreviated notes from the regulations. The full document should be taken into account in any design project. Other relevant documents are included in BS5655 on Specifications for lift arrangements, controls and indicators.
DIAGRAM OF A LIFT

DIMENSIONS

Minimum floor size
1400mm deep by 1100mm wide

Minimum clear door opening
800mm

Heights of controls, phones, tactile signs
Minimum 900mm, Maximum 1200mm

Distance along side wall from corner to controls
400mm

Handrail height
900mm

Minimum clear landing soace
1500mm by 1500mm

MIRROR The mirror for wheelchair users to check in before reversing out is a recommendation of the Centre for Accessible Environments and a requirement of Part M.

LIFTS WERE REQUIRED in a

  • 2 storey building with more than 280 sq.m of nett area;
  • building with more than 2 storeys with more than 200 sq.m of nett floor area.
Also, a suitable means of escape should be provided as an alternative to the lift unless the lift is specially fire protected and has an independent power source.
Later versions of Part M require lifts in most new buildings with upper storeys.

TACTILE INDICATION of each storey is needed adjacent to the call button. Lifts serving more than 3 floors need tactile indication on or adjacent to the buttons to confirm the floor selected.

LIFTS SERVING MORE THAN 3 STOREYS need to have visual and voice indication of the floor reached.

ADDITIONAL SUGGESTIONS

Alarm buttons should be positioned and clearly identified so that they are less likely to be wrongly pressed. (access2go)

The call and control panels should be easily distinguishable from their backgrounds. (CAE)

Emergency phones in lifts should contain inductive couplers to help hearing aid users. (CAE)

Alarm buttons in lifts should give visual and audible indication that they have been activated. (CAE, access2go)