Guide to Vertical Circulation in Non Domestic Buildings
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Transcript of Guide to Vertical Circulation in Non Domestic Buildings
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5/23/2018 Guide to Vertical Circulation in Non Domestic Buildings
LABC represents Local Authority Building Control in England and Wales.
Guide to vertical circulation innon domestic buildings
www.labc.uk.com
This advice note has been produced to assist may be when justifying the omission of a full
members, promote good practice and encourage passenger lift.
consistency of interpretation for the benefit of our It is important to consider the ramifications of notclients. They are advisory in nature, and in all providing a lift in relation to equality issuescases the responsibility for determining around employability and the potentialcompliance with the Building Regulations remains discrimination that may result. Floor area,with the Local Authority concerned. occupancy levels and the height of the building
This guide supersedes the technical advice note are significant factors, but other factors such as
published in November 2009 Revision E, those discussed below also need to be
specifically where reference was previously considered before reaching a conclusion.made to the DDA this now reads Single Appendix A offers a work flow approach to theEqualities Act 2010. decision making process.
Introduction It is the intention of Part M of the Building
Legislation relating to equality continues toRegulations to assist in making the built
change, most recently through the Equalities Actenvironment accessible toall whether in
2010 which encompasses access to buildings, accessing employment opportunities, goods or
services and employment. services or helping in maintaining independance.
Therefore, the provision of a lift must be seen as
The aim of the Building Regulations (since 1985) the main solution for vertical travel.as well as the supporting Approved Document M
is to make new and altered buildings accessible toAs the guidance in Approved Document M 2000
all people in order to help meet the ongoingdoes not include a minimum floor area to be
requirements of the The Equalities Act 2010 for accessed when considering the provision of a lift,
access to buildings, services and employment.it is important to recognise that whilst the
provision of a passenger lift or, in certain
Whilst the requirement of the Building Regulations situations a lifting platform is the recommendedis for reasonable provision to be made for people option, the requirement of Part M is to achieve ato gain access to and use the building and its reasonable level of provision, and this can be
facilities,Approved Document M is very clear in achieved in a variety of ways.recommending a lift in all buildings of two storeys
or more to provide inclusive vertical circulation forAll applications should be looked at on a case by
all buildings users. As such every effort should be case basis as each situation will be different, this
made to provide means of access that allows a being one of the main reasons for the introduction
person with ambulatory difficulties to move of Access Statements in 2006. It is an opportunity
between different storeys of a building. for designers to offer reasoned arguments that
may vary on a project by project basis yet still
Key Issues achieve compliance with Part M.
An area giving rise to differing interpretation is the Meeting the requirements ofrequirement to provide a lift in a building.
Part M
The guidance in this document is intended to helpIn new buildings, it is anticipated that designers
achieve consistent decisions when determiningwill, other than in exceptional cases, meet the
how acceptable alternativeequivalent decisions
Best Practice note on application of Building Regulations
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5/23/2018 Guide to Vertical Circulation in Non Domestic Buildings
LABC represents Local Authority Building Control in England and Wales.
requirements of the Building Regulations by
following the guidance in Approved Document M.
In existing or extended buildings it is more likely
that a case may be put forward for not meeting the
requirements on full accessibility; however it is
important to remember the intention of the
Building Regulations is that all new and existingnon-domestic buildings that are materially altered
or extended are accessible to all.
In some instances on small scale developments it
may be possible to adapt access provision where
there is inadequate space for a passenger lift. In
such cases it would be expected any alternative
solutions would be supported by a full Access
Statement.
In all cases the use of the building must be taken
into consideration, and if there is no public access
on upper or lower floors and it can be
demonstrated the type of work activity precludes
people with disabilities, the provision of a full
passenger lift may be considered unreasonable.
However, this type of decision cannot be made
without knowing the intended occupancy and
usage of the building. Any decision may also be
influenced by possible future changes in
occupancy type, therefore, any variation from Part
M must be supported by an Access Statement.
Factors that may influence theprovision of or the type of lift
Access is to one or two floors only and thearea is limited
Occupancy/floor space factors are lowThe building does not exceed 3 storeysFloor space does not contain a unique facilityThe constraints of the building precludealterations, particularly if it is of historic interestMeans of escape provision may not be
achieved due to floor space/layout constraints
Members of the public are not permitted on thefloor
Nature of business precludes the use ofpersons with significant ambulatory difficulties
There is effective full time management inplace
Space constraints of a site or unusual/irregularplan layout may limit provision of a lift
All of the uniquefacilitiesand an accessibleWC could be provided at an accessible level
Management arrangements are in place tocater for disabled employees and visitors
The provision of certain types of lifting devicesmay restrict means of escape routes i.e.stairlifts.
RememberThe first decision you should make is whether the
provision of a lift is unreasonable, you may then goon to consider what other measures could be
introduced. Should it be decided a lift is not
reasonable the decision must be fully defensible
under the The Equalities Act 2010 and other
legislation. Whatever form of access is provided to
floors above or below the ground floor, an
ambulant disabled staircase should always be
provided. This guidance is not exhaustive as each
case will differ in usage, occupancy, management
arrangements and other material factors. It merelygives guidance for consideration of particular
situations.
Factors to consider when deciding onthe provision of lifts
In new buildings there is an expectationthat a lift
will be provided, but there may be circumstances
where a reduced standard is acceptable, as in a
small low rise building, or parts of buildings with
low occupancy factors.Similarly this may apply to extensions and material
changes of use of buildings.
The requirement is for reasonable provision to
be made for people to gain access to and use the
building and its facilities. This allows for a variation
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5/23/2018 Guide to Vertical Circulation in Non Domestic Buildings
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of the requirements in cases where the provision
of a lift might be considered unduly onerous.
The following are examples of different ways that
might show compliance with Part M.
Full passenger lift plus at least one ambulantdisabled stair (Ideal)
Platform lift or access to a goods lift plus atleast one ambulant disabled stairWheelchair platform stair-lift plus at least one
ambulant disabled stair
Single folding seat stair-lift plus at least oneambulant disabled stair
At least one ambulant disabled stair or ramp(Minimum )
At least one ambulant disabled stair andallowance for a future lift.
In every case where a full passenger lift is not to
be installed, the AccessStatementshould state
the reasons why, and include what other facilities
are being provided.
Whilst a small floor area or low occupancy may be
a major reason why the provision of a lift is not
reasonable, any judgment should not be made
solely on these factors, as there may be other
over-riding reasons to require a lift.
If after reasoned deliberation it is decided not to
install a lift, provision for future easy installation
should be recommended. Whilst a building may be
considered too small for a lift at present, if it is later
extended, the requirement for a lift may apply and
therefore a future installation through a removable
section of floor in a suitable location would be a
clear advantage. This circumstance may only be
relevant where the use of the floor is limited and the
business process would tend to suggest that an
individual either would not need to access the floor
in question or could not be employed on that floor
due to the nature of the business.
Any future change in the use of a building could
utilise any structural openings in the floor to install
an appropriate lifting mechanism. At all times it is
important to consider whether the lack of any
mechanical vertical circulation will prejudice any of
the buildings users or occupants.
The provision of at least one ambulant disabled
stair is considered to be the minimum standard of
accessibility for the purposes of this document, in
addition to whatever other method of vertical
circulation is provided.
In all cases a combination of the following will be
required to justify not providing a full passenger
lift. Additional facilities, guidance or signage may
be required where a full passenger lift is not
provided.
ConclusionIt is important to take account of other key matters
when considering alternative means of vertical
access to ensure you do not reduce the
effectiveness or ongoing viability of the building or
service and also not create a legally indefensible
position for the designer, building owner or service
provider.
These should include:
The ongoing duties and requirements of theThe Equalities Act 2010 and other equalitylegislation
Loss of, or reduced Public/Government grantfunding for the business or service
Achievement of an Inclusivedesign andequality of access to employment and services
Versatility in the current and future uses of thebuilding
Not restricting employment opportunities forpeople with ambulatory disabilities.
LABC technical guidance notes are intended toprovide information, promote good practice andencourage consistency of interpretation for thebenefit of our clients. They are advisory in nature, and in all cases the responsibility for determiningcompliance with the Building Regulations remainswith the building control body concerned.
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For further information contact your local authority or
Local Authority Building Control at:
LABC T: 020 7091 6860
66 South Lambeth Road F: 020 7091 6879
London SW8 1RL E: [email protected]
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5/23/2018 Guide to Vertical Circulation in Non Domestic Buildings
Appendix A Means of vertical circulation in non domestic buildings
Starting Point: Provide full passenger lift OR consider following parameters
When using the flowchart, where any of the 3 factors of floor area, occupancy or number of storeys
moves from low to medium or medium to high then the higher minimum requirement should be applied.
Key to types of lift/means of access
ADS = Ambulant disabled stairs
FPL = Full passenger lift,
PL = Platform Lift,
GL = Use of goods lift,
Notes:
1. Floor areas slightly greater than 100m2 may be acceptable in certain circumstances as justified in
the access statement
2. The use of a goods lift should only be considered where there is no danger to the user at the points
of access or egress, the controls are in accordance with ADM, and assistance or a call alarm is
available.
3. Single seat stair-lifts and wheelchair stair-lifts may be used where the total rise is one storey or less
and the width of the stairs is such that they do not impede means of escape.
4. When considering the type of lift provision, the additional influencing factors shown in the guide
should be considered as well.
5. Whilst the above are the minimum lift provision, the aim should be to use the best possible means
of access available given the constraints of the building, and therefore a higher level of provision is
always preferable.
Floor area
Low (under 50m2 per floor) Medium (50m2 but under 100m2) High (over 100m2)
Occupancy
Low (less than 5 people) Medium (5 to 20 people) High (over 20 people)
No of storeys
Low (2 Storeys) Medium (3 - 4 Storeys) High (Over 4 Storeys)
Acceptablemeans ofverticalaccess
ADS + FPL or PL or GL(Minimum = ADS)
ADS + FPL or PL or GL(Minimum ADS + GL)
ADS + FPL