4 Things to Consider before Installing a Public Lift

With his twelve years at Aritco, Peter Sälgström is one of the company’s veterans. He is currently responsible for sales in Sweden and Iceland, but has over the years managed Aritco’s sales in many other countries as well. Creating long-lasting relationships is what he considers to be the most important part of his work, with partners, architects, consultants, and others – not least when dealing with lifts for public spaces, which is the theme of our conversation.

Many are familiar with Aritco’s home lifts, but the public and commercial elevators make up a large percentage of the business as well.

“It is hard to say exactly what the division of Aritco’s total business is between home and public lifts since it varies from country to country” says Peter and continues, “but in Sweden the majority of sales are for public spaces. A major difference between public and private lifts is that those used in public environments need to live up to more accessibility and safety requirements.”

“Our public lifts are suitable for all public spaces, but we mostly deliver to schools, residential buildings, offices, malls, industrial halls, as well as hospitals and health centers.”

So, what should one consider when installing a lift for a public space? Peter shares four of his main tips.

“First of all, you need to understand what the lift is to be used for and which type of lift best suits the purpose. If you are to be transporting lots of people up and down a bunch of stairs, a classic cable-assisted cabin elevator is what you need. A platform lift is the better option when you have a maximum of three floors, to offer people with disabilities or strollers an alternative to the escalator, to transport freight, and to meet various accessibility requirements.”

“Once you know what the lift is to be used for, you need to consider its placement. The lift’s dimensions are obviously important, if it is meant to fit people in wheelchairs for instance, but also the less visible space over and under the elevator.”

“A platform lift does not require a machine room above it or the same size shaft underneath it as a cable-assisted elevator does. What amount of space you have to work with in all three dimensions is essential to which type of lift you should choose.”

“What are the accessibility requirements in the country, district, specific business? Often there are requirements regarding the size of a lift, but they can also be about automatic doors, door sensors or other accessibility and safety features. All Aritco lifts are, for instance, equipped with an emergency phone, which is a standard requirement.”

“In Sweden, requirements are stricter than in many other countries, but they also vary between different businesses and operations within the country. In many public environments, an enabling button – one that needs to be held down for the lift to move – is required, but in health care buildings, it is the opposite. In Swedish hospitals and health centers, our Aritco PublicLift Cabin is popular since it allows for hands-free movement and has telescopic doors.”

“Once you have usage, placement and requirements figured out, you need to consider both short-term and long-term costs. The price of the lift is one part of it, of course, but installation and maintenance need to be part of the equation as well.”

“The performance that a platform lift offers for its purpose makes it more cost-efficient than a traditional cable-assisted elevator. Aritco also offers a five-year warranty on all lifts and ten years on the drive technology, which means an overall lower operating cost for the customer” says Peter in conclusion.

Aritco offers a variety of lifts for public spaces with functionality and appearance that can be modified to match their intended purpose and environment. Get in touch with us if you want more tips or need counseling on which lift is the right one for your specific project.