BSI publishes pre-service test standard for evacuation lifts to BS EN 81-76

The British Standards Institution (BSI) has published BS 8486-10:2026, a specification for examining and testing new evacuation lifts against BS EN 81-76:2025 before they are put into service, the Lift and Escalator Industry Association (LEIA) has announced.

The standard sets out structured examination and test questions for assessing whether a new evacuation lift meets BS EN 81-76:2025, according to LEIA. It is aimed at lift installation companies and test engineers.

LEIA said the standard lets installers and test engineers inspect and test evacuation lift features systematically and record the results to support conformity assessment. Those records can also form part of the lift's technical file.

The trade body added that, beyond the pre-service checks on new lifts, BS 8486-10:2026 can support ongoing verification when evacuation lifts are upgraded, modified or retested during their lifecycle. BSI's own catalogue entry describes the standard as specifying one means of determining conformity to the examination, testing and results-recording provisions for new evacuation lifts in BS EN 81-76:2025 before they go into service.

What the standard excludes

BS 8486-10:2026 does not identify examinations and tests relating to the building-related conditions annex of BS EN 81-76:2025. LEIA said those fall within the scope of building regulations.

The full title is BS 8486-10:2026 Examination and test of new lifts before putting into service. Specification for means of determining conformity to BS EN 81. Lift features for evacuation conforming to BS EN 81-76. BSI lists it under technical committee MHE/4, which covers lifts, hoists and escalators, with ISBN 978 0 539 39065 0.

BSI issued the document as a draft, reference 26/30545500 DC, on 5 May 2026, under the title Draft BS 8486-10 Examination and test of new lifts before putting into service.

The BS 8486 series

BS 8486 is a multi-part series of pre-service examination and test specifications. According to BSI, Part 10 joins nine existing parts covering electric and hydraulic lifts and features to BS EN 81-20, 81-21, 81-28, 81-70, 81-71, 81-72 and 81-73.

The closest existing siblings are Part 8, which covers fire-fighting lift features to BS EN 81-72, and Part 9, which covers emergency recall features to BS EN 81-73. Part 10 uses the wording "conformity to BS EN 81" where Parts 1 to 9 use "compliance with BS EN 81".

The underlying standard

BS EN 81-76:2025 adds requirements on top of EN 81-20:2020 for new passenger and goods passenger lifts that can be used to support faster evacuation of persons with disabilities, including when a fire alarm sounds, according to BSI's catalogue. It does not apply to evacuation lifts manufactured before its publication date, and it excludes fire or smoke in the evacuation lift well, safe areas or machinery spaces from its scope.

LEIA's separate guidance on BS EN 81-76 says that following it as a designated standard under the UK Lifts Regulations gives a presumption of conformity with the relevant Essential Health and Safety Requirements. By contrast, the guidance says evacuation lift provisions based only on BS 9999 Annex G will not appear on the Declaration of Conformity, because Annex G is not a designated standard under those regulations.

During a transition period, LEIA's guidance says it is acceptable to work to either BS 9999:2017 Annex G or BS EN 81-76 as products become available.

The guidance also warns that significant lead times should be expected for new evacuation lifts, because of design, development and conformity assessment, the building elements needed to protect the lift, and the signals required for the lift controls.