EN 81-31 specifies the safety rules for new accessible goods only lifts with traction, positive or hydraulic drive, permanently installed and only used by users (see 3.57), serving fixed and permanent landing levels, having a carrier made of a single load carrying area, designed for the transportation of goods only, moving along a fixed path by rigid guide rails and inclined not more than 15° to the vertical, with rated speed not exceeding 1 m/s.
EN 81-31 covers accessible goods only lifts with a rated load exceeding 300 kg and not intended to transport persons.
A goods only lift carrier is regarded as accessible where one of the following conditions is satisfied:
— floor area of the carrier is greater than 1,0 m2,
— depth of the carrier is greater than 1,0 m,
— the clear height of the carrier is greater than 1,20 m.
If the carrier is without a roof, it is considered accessible when the clear height of the landing doors is greater than 1,20 m.
Two types of accessible goods only lifts are addressed:
— Type A, where the intended use is bound to the maximum rated speed of 0,30 m/s,
— Type B, where the intended use is bound to the maximum rated speed of 1,0 m/s.
In addition to EN 81-31 requirements, supplementary requirements are to be considered in special cases (operation subject to ATEX rules, operational in ambiental conditions not addressed by this standard, seismic conditions, transporting dangerous goods, etc.).
Noise and vibrations are not dealt with in this standard as they are not considered a significant or relevant hazard for the actual type of accessible goods only lifts.
