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The Ultimate Guide To Lift Installations For Businesses

Writer's picture: Eternal ElevatorsEternal Elevators

As a business, the design of your building can impact your success, especially when it comes to accessibility. Often, office blocks, retail spaces and warehouses can be spread across many floors, where this may make it difficult to handle stock and to encourage prospective customers to the highest floors.

 

Fortunately, lift installations provide a simple solution to this age-old problem, by making it quick and safe to access different levels in a commercial building. Crucially, the kind of lift you choose must be selected according to your needs, as there are different models available for the transportation of passengers and heavy goods.

 

Read on to find out more about business lift installations, with a look at the various types of lifts on offer and the installation process.


Key Types of Business Lift


Whilst domestic and residential lifts are typically only used to move passengers from one floor to another within their own homes, business lifts can serve a variety of different purposes.

 

Some of the key types on offer include:


Passenger Lifts


The basic lift type within a commercial space is the passenger lift. These large units are designed to swiftly transport both customers and employees to different floors, making travel throughout the building more efficient.

 

Depending on the nature of your establishment, you may wish to install a passenger lift that adds to the aesthetic appeal of your building. For instance, a glass and chrome lift within a shopping centre or luxury retail space can help you to create an inviting destination for shoppers.


Goods Lifts


Many commercial spaces will need to transport goods throughout the building, as well as people. For instance, deliveries may need to be moved from the stock room to the shop floor, with the help of large trollies and pallet lifts.

 

With the assistance of a sizable goods lift, large quantities of materials can be moved between floors without endangering the safety of employees.


Platform Lifts


Platform lifts are usually designed for the transportation of wheelchair users throughout a building, where they can be built to move between two or more floors. These lifts allow users to traverse a commercial space without calling for assistance, providing a shopping experience that is accessible for all.

 

In order to comply with the Equality Act, commercial buildings are obliged to have some kind of platform lift available that can transport shoppers between floors. Often, these can be designed to complement the building’s existing architecture, providing a discrete but practical installation.

Which Lift Is Best For Your Business?


The lift type that you choose will depend on the nature of your business, where different commercial spaces will require specific installations to suit their needs.

 

Here’s some examples of common commercial venues, with a look at the kind of lift that could support their operations:

 

Small Office Buildings - A lift will be required in order to comply with accessibility regulations, even if the space only consists of two flights of stairs. This installation should be practical and well-maintained.

Retail Spaces - A shopping centre or independent store will need to install both a goods lift and a comfortable customer lift to facilitate everyday operations.

Corporate Headquarters - Large commercial headquarters could benefit from a stylish lift installation, where glass and chrome detailing ensures that corporate visitors form a good first impression.

Factories & Warehouses - In these spaces, cumbersome materials must be moved between floors in a safe and effective manner. This can be achieved with the help of a substantial cargo lift.


The Importance of Choosing the Right Lift


It is essential that you consider all your options before choosing a lift installation for your commercial building, where this decision could have a broad impact on your business.

 

Your chosen lift could impact your company in the following ways:


Health & Safety


Choosing the right lift installation is essential when it comes to ensuring that all health and safety procedures are followed. Lifts must have a clear load limit, emergency lighting and an effective communication system in order to be deemed safe. As such, you should ensure that your lift installer can meet all these requirements before you proceed.


Cost Effectiveness


With the right lift in your building, you will be able to streamline your operations and improve efficiency. In particular, an appropriate goods lift can make your manual handling work easier and safer, reducing costly time delays.

 

A well installed lift will also require minimal maintenance, helping to reduce the likelihood of additional costs further down the line.


Accessibility Rules & Regulations


Selecting the right lift for your building is essential for business compliance. According to accessibility regulations, your lift should be spacious enough to accommodate wheelchair users without difficulty, where controls should also be fitted at an appropriate height for wheelchair users.

 

If you fail to meet these standards, then you could be exposing your building to potential legal disputes and discrimination claims.


The Lift Installation Process


The various stages of the lift installation process will vary according to the needs of your building - but in general, the following steps will be adhered to:


Initial Assessment


Before lift designs can be drawn up, your installation team will conduct a thorough site survey and assessment to ascertain the needs of your space. This will include a survey of your structural requirements, as well as enquiries into your operational needs. As a result of this assessment, your team will be able to cost your installation and present you with a timeline.


Lift Design


Once your site survey is complete, your installation team will be able to design your lift. At this stage, dimensions will be finalised, and materials will be chosen, so you can gain an in-depth understanding of how your final installation will look.


Site Preparation


Before a new lift can be installed, any old structures may need to be demolished and removed. Additionally, your installation team might need to construct a new lift shaft, or modify your existing infrastructure in order to accommodate a different system.


Assembly & Installation


Lift components can then be delivered to your site for assembly. Various mechanical components such as the lift car, guide rails and control panel will then be installed, where particular attention will be paid to important electrical elements.


Testing & Training


Once the installation is complete, your lift team will carry out a series of safety checks, ensuring that all emergency functions are working properly. Following this, staff training will be delivered to teach your employees how to operate the new lift safely.


Ongoing Maintenance


Following a lift installation, you can agree upon a maintenance contract to keep your equipment in good working order. Ongoing checks, as well as lift services and cleans, can help to prevent malfunctions, keeping your staff and customers safe.

Eternal Elevators: Professional Lift Installations & Repair Services


At Eternal Elevators, we supply, install and maintain lifts for commercial spaces, helping to improve productivity and keep your workplace in top condition. Our lift service engineers can design and repair bespoke systems, ensuring that you have the right model for your business needs.

 

Get in touch with us today to find out more about our specialist lift company.




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