New passenger lifts are among the many enhancements passengers will be able to enjoy following the long-awaited reopening of Whitechapel Station in east London.

Prior to its closure in 2016, the station had already been served by the District and Hammersmith & City Tube lines and also by London Overground. However, with Crossrail set to be added to these services, the station was closed for a much-needed overhaul.

Before the revamp the station was blighted by a lack of lifts and limited space inside. Now, the amount of space has doubled and new lifts will offer step-free access to all the platforms.

This aspect of the development was emphasised by managing director of London Underground Andy Lord as the revamped station opened its doors.

He said: “With step-free access to the London Underground and London Overground platforms now available, there are real benefits for customers, particularly those heading to The Royal London Hospital directly across the road.”

In addition, the station has a new ticket hall and concourse, while the 1876 façade has been cleaned up and made good as new.

The only negatives about the project stem from the main pretext for the redevelopment work -Crossrail itself. Although the new Elizabeth Line platforms at the station are being formally handed over to London Underground this week, passengers will still have to wait until next year to board any Crossrail trains.

Another issue has been the £831 million cost of building the Whitechapel Crossrail station, dwarfing the originally estimated £110 million figure due to a series of construction difficulties.

Nonetheless, the new lifts will be widely welcomed and the provision of step-free access of this type will be a feature of all the stations on the Crossrail network, both on the surface and underground.

In total, 11 of the 41 stations, including three at Heathrow, will be underground.

The Equality Act 2010, which was previously covered under the Disability Discrimination Act, is designed to legally protect people in the workplace and wider society from unfair treatment. The legislation includes certain obligations to make reasonable adjustments for disabled people, which includes access to lifts.

Buildings intended for public use fall under the Equality Act. This includes making reasonable adjustments for physical features on the premises which could prohibit or hinder access to a disabled person. For example, toilets should have wide doors and adapted facilities, and steps and stairs which can’t be avoided should be removed or altered.

In some cases, this will necessitate the installation of a lift. Employers and service providers are recommended to consult Buildings Regulations when planning to install a lift, to ensure that it conforms to the Equality Act, and is suitably adjusted to the needs of disabled users. Lifts are specifically discussed in Part M of the Buildings Regulations.

Most lift manufacturers will ensure that their products are compliant with UK Building Regulations and the Equality Act as a standard practice, but it is advisable to be aware of the specific guidelines. These include the following main points:

·         The lift must be suitable to accommodate a wheelchair user, with a clear landing of at least 1.5m in length and width, directly in front of the lift door at every level.

·         The doors must have a clear opening width of at least 0.8m.

·         The load capacity must be at least 400kg.

·         Tactile indicators must be provided alongside the lift buttons to identify each storey.

·         The lift must have a dwell time of five seconds before its doors begin to close after they fully open.

·         When the lift serves more than three storeys, visual and audible indicators must be provided to identify the floor reached.

If you are looking for a wheelchair platform lift, please get in touch today.

Lifting operations have the potential to place people at risk of injury, as well as incurring huge costs if things do go wrong. The Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998, abbreviated to LOLER, LOLER Regulations, or LOLER 1998, place duties on people and organisations that own, operate, or have control over lifting equipment.

Bdaily reports that LOLER inspectors are turning their focus to improving standards post-pandemic, and urging companies, particularly construction and material handling firms to ensure that their LOLER, PSSR (The Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000), and COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002) are up to date.

In the majority of cases, lifting equipment will also be covered by the Provision and Use of Work Equipment Regulations, or PUWER, so make sure you fully understand your legal duties under PUWER when it comes to maintaining and inspecting lifting equipment.

What is LOLER?

In the simplest of terms, LOLER regulations mean that all lifting operations that involve lifting equipment must be properly planned by a competent person, and appropriately supervised and undertaken safely and sensibly.

LOLER also requires that all equipment used for lifting is fit for purpose and appropriate for the task and that maintenance is recorded and defects reported.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) advises that businesses and organisations carrying out lifting operations providing lifting equipment for others to use ensure that operations are planned properly, operators are sufficiently trained and competent, appropriately supervised, and those operations are carried out safely.

If you need a LOLER inspection arranged to conduct thorough inspections of your lifting equipment, talk to us today.

Ensuring you have disabled access at your business is more than simply providing a ramp at the front of your building, or creating a few disabled parking spaces, you should ensure that there is full access to as much of the property as possible.

Wheelchair users find obstacles in almost every aspect of their lives, from everyday activities that fully-abled people take for granted to special occasions such as holidays. Platform lifts are an exceptionally useful addition to a business that can help people with mobility issues move safely and securely between floors.

As well as ensuring that disabled customers, clients, or staff can access your business premises, a platform lift will ensure that your building meets the legislative requirements of Part M, Section 4.2 and the Equality Act.

Here are some other benefits of installing a platform lift in your business.

1. Efficient

A platform lift is designed to carry large amounts of weight without compromising the speed or safety of users. While they are typically larger than standard access lifts, it does not mean they are slower or expensive to operate. Platform lifts have low running and maintenance costs due to the single-phase power consumption.

2. Secure

As there is no need for the user to remove themselves from the wheelchair, the risk of injury is significantly reduced. A platform lift is a safe and secure way to move between floors.

The risk of injury is significantly lower with a platform lift as there is no need for a person to remove themselves from their wheelchair.

3. Gives Customers and Visitors Access

A platform lift will allow customers and visitors to be able to move freely around your business premises and fully engage with your organisation.

By installing a platform lift you are saying you care about your customers and want to ensure that anyone can access your business. You are making provisions for people who have disabilities, which sends out a positive message to customers.

If you’re looking for a platform lift company, get in touch today.

Approximately half of all lifts in the UK are more than 30 years old, and for lift and building owners and operators, it poses the question of what to do with old lifts, whether to replace or to refurbish.

The question of ensuring lifts are fit for purpose has recently been of relevance, with the recent inquiry to the tragic Grenfell Tower disaster, with a former lift engineer for Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation stating that none of the lifts in the building met required firefighting standards, according to Inside Housing.

What does lift refurbishment actually mean?

When something is restored to an ‘as new’ condition we can say it has been refurbished. Worn out equipment is simply replaced like for like and nothing more. If lift components and lift equipment are replaced in this way, this is not considered an upgrade.

The replaced components will function as the originals were designed to do, and could include replacement or refurbishment of bearings, lift motors, doors, or lift interiors.

With any such changes to a lift, it will still perform as it was designed to do, and performance and reliability will be improved, but it does mean there will be no change in the level of safety.

There are many good reasons to go further than simply replacing like-for-like, for example, to improve the lift ride and floor levelling, or to improve on lift energy consumption.

Replacing an old lift motor with a similar or equivalent model would be a refurbishment, but replacing it with a modern variable speed motor would constitute an upgrade.

It is important for lift owners and operators to consider all the options rather than simply replacing components with like-for-like.

If you’re looking for lift refurbishment companies, talk to us today and we can advise on all the options available to you.

If you are considering installing a vertical lift in your residence, you will probably have several questions. Here are some important points to think about before making a final decision.

What are your practical needs?

Asking what will be the everyday purpose of the lift is a good place to start. Does it need to be big enough to accommodate a wheelchair? How many passengers do you want to transport at a time? How many floors is the lift needed to serve? The answers to these questions will all affect the size and type of lift you need.

Where could the lift be installed?

The location of the lift will depend on how much space there is available. It is usual to install them in the hallway or living room, to travel to an upper landing or bedroom area. However, in most cases, the location can be very flexible, from the centre piece of a room, to tucked discreetly into a corner.

Do you need planning permission?

Planning permission is not necessary to install a lift in a private home. Depending on the size and type of the lift, you may need some structural alterations to your home which require Building Control approval. The manufacturer or supplier of your lift should be able to give you advice on any alterations necessary, and may even arrange the approval of the work.

How do I ensure safety standards?

Vertical lifts are designed to rigorous safety standards. Make sure the products offered by your chosen supplier or manufacturer are compliant with the relevant British and European Safety Standards.

While compliance with the standards for safety and fire resistance is not mandatory in most cases, it is very strongly recommended that you select a manufacturer and product that can demonstrate essential safety standards.

If you are looking for bespoke platform lifts, please contact us today.

We are all much more aware of what we touch in our everyday lives since COVID-19. We were all told to avoid touching our faces with unwashed hands, and many of us will think twice before grabbing a handrail in a public place or press buttons in an elevator.

Many companies, hoping to reopen offices and workplaces soon, will be taking all this into account as they make changes and implement touchless access control measures to buildings, such as the use of RFID cards like those used in contactless payments, or key fobs that only permit access to certain floors.

However, these measures cannot be implemented in busy public areas, such as shopping centres, railways stations, and airports. Now companies are seeking the next generation of controls to accommodate the need for touchless technology.

A Singaporean design studio, Stuck Design has been working on a concept where lift passengers won’t have to touch a button to ‘press’ it. The studio’s Kinetic Touchless technology mimics the movement of the finger and recreates the tactile sensation of pushing a button. 

It works by detecting motion and doesn’t need direct contact, and the designers say that the technology can recognise other gestures too, swiping, pushing or pulling, and the technology means the buttons will sink inwards or move outwards, following the gesture.

While there is touchless technology that will acknowledge your selection with a light or a sound, this concept may appear overkill, however, the studio said: “By going beyond the expected feedback of light and sound, Kinetic Touchless provides a surprisingly delightful and yet newly familiar way to interact with contactless technology.”

The concept is yet still in the prototype phase, but touchless technology will be used more and more post-pandemic, so get ready for Star Trek-style technology coming to lifts soon!

If you’re looking for lift Solutions, get in touch today.

Ickenham station in northwest London, on the Piccadilly and Metropolitan lines, has become the 84th station on the tube to have step-free access added to the station, including two new sets of lifts on each platform.

Rail Technology Magazine reports that as well as the new lifts, there is improved signage guiding customers to step-free access from street level to the station platforms, and manual boarding ramps will continue to be available to assist passengers to get from rain to platform, and tactile paving covering the length of both platforms.

The station now has two new lifts and improved signage giving customers step-free access from the street to the station platforms. Alongside the upgrades, manual boarding ramps will still be available to assist customers to get from train to platform, as well as existing tactile paving covering the full length of both platforms.

A new street-level walkway has been built above the platforms, that leads to a new overbridge and there two sets of wheelchair-accessible passenger lifts to each platform. A separate plan to rebuild the ticket hall to include lift shafts had been ruled out due to the expense for a relatively quiet station - the 10th quietest hub station on the TfL network.

The current car park for the station is at rail level, which requires customers to walk up a staircase to get the ticket office, or via the narrow pavement on the road bridge, which is less than ideal for passengers who require the lifts, so a new, smaller car park has been included next to the ticket hall, with three wheelchair-accessible car parking spaces. 

The new car park has yet to open, but a condition of the planning approval requires it to be completed within a year of the lifts being added to the station.

If you’re looking for lift solutions, get in touch today.

Rail users in Ilford are now enjoying the benefits of greater access provided by a new entrance, but this is just part of the plan, as passenger lift work will be next.

Transport for London (TfL) revealed last week that the new southern entrance to the station has opened, providing step-free access to Platform 1 commuters travelling between central London and Essex.  

The next stage will be the installation of three lifts to provide step-free access to all three platforms at the station. Network Rail is carrying out this work alongside a range of other improvements, all connected with the forthcoming arrival of the new Crossrail Elizabeth Line.

Starting with a new northern entrance in 2015, the rolling programme of developments will, when completed, also include a new ticket hall, refurbishments of platform canopies and toilets and new platform seating.

TfL Rail deputy director of operations Danny Fox said: “Further improvements are well underway at the station, rebuilding the main entrance and installing new lifts.“

The importance of providing more step-free access is important at any station, but it is particularly true when lines run underground, as many stations will require significant climbs to reach the surface.

Although Crossrail is classed as a mainline rail system rather than an underground metro like the Tube, it has the similar characteristic of starting as an over ground system as it runs through the periphery of the metropolis, before plunging into deep tunnels. In all, the underground section will be 26 miles long, with ten new stations underground.

Crossrail has a commitment to providing step-free access for all 41 stations on the line, with work already completed at most stations. Apart from Ilford, where the lifts will be in place later this year, the other station where the task is ongoing is Heathrow Terminal 5.

In the Heathrow case, however, ramps already provide step free access, with lifts to platforms 3, 4 and 5 to be completed later this year.

Not that long ago, the main concerns for building owners and facility managers when it came to lifts were that they were reliable and efficient. There are also security concerns, particularly in commercial buildings, which restrict access to certain floors to only authorised personnel or at certain times of the day.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for enhanced hygiene, particularly in places where lifts are high traffic areas, such as offices, multi-tenant buildings, hospitals, and shopping centres.

With touchless technology becoming much more widely adopted, the lift represents the few remaining areas where tenants and visitors need to physically interact with controls.

One solution is to implement touchless lift controls, and there have been several approaches developed to address this challenge, such as foot switches and pedals, and even holographic buttons.

Some other touchless technology options could include -

App-based tech

We can control more and more things via smartphone apps, and putting control of the lift into the hands of tenants via a smartphone app can provide excellent flexibility for building managers and an improved experience for tenants.

IoT-enabled.

Internet of Things (IoT) technology is easy-to-install and unobtrusive and supports app-based systems that will recognise tenants via their smartphones as they enter the building, automatically calling a lift to take them to their default floor, without ever needing to take their phone out of their pocket.

An app-based, touchless lift system represents an excellent short-term, easy-to-implement solution that addresses many concerns of the safety of public spaces post-lockdown while delivering an added benefit of enhanced security.

Long term, these solutions provide a better experience to tenants that will help smart buildings differentiate and increase tenant satisfaction.

If you need lift consultants for your building, talk to us today.

Lifts can be incredibly hardworking and, as such, it’s essential that you make sure you have them serviced regularly to ensure that they continue to operate safely and as they should.

But, over time, you’re sure to start noticing that the performance of the lift isn’t perhaps as good as it once was, with issues starting to crop up, such as frequent breakdowns, operating slowly and lots of noise coming from it - and this suggests that you may need to take further action than a simple service.

You might be tempted to replace the equipment in its entirety, but this can prove very costly and more time-consuming and disruptive to your business, so you may find that it’s actually better to modernise the lift, instead of investing in something brand new.

Modernisation typically involves replacing all the electronic components, including the pump unit if the lift is hydraulic. This can turn an ageing piece of equipment into something modern and energy efficient, with hardly any trouble at all.

Doing so can actually transform your lift because modern parts are used and you could see it kitted out with all sorts of new features that weren’t available when the lift was first installed, which is an added benefit, of course.

And it’s also worth bearing in mind that modernisation will ensure that your lift continues to be compliant with all new legislation relating to such equipment, which can only be good for business.

Your customers are also sure to enjoy the enhanced experience of a more modern lift, so it’s a win-win for everyone. If you’d like to find out more about modernisation and lift refurbishment, get in touch with KEP Lifts today.

If you have lifts in operation at your place of business, then you have a legal requirement, under the Lifting Operations and Lifting Equipment Regulations 1998 (LOLER), to have them examined thoroughly on a regular basis.

All businesses and organisations whose employees use lifting equipment must ensure they fulfil their duties, whether they own the equipment or otherwise. The regulations require that all equipment is fit for purpose, appropriate for the task, suitably marked and subject to a statutory periodic thorough examination.

Records must be kept of all these examinations and, if any defects are found, they must be reported to the person responsible for the equipment, as well as the relevant enforcing authority, (which is either the Health and Safety Executive or your local authority).

The responsible competent person will need to carry out a risk assessment, considering factors like frequency of use, where the lift is used, age and condition, the weight of loads and so on. They will also need to determine what tests will be required, taking into account relevant guidance and standards.

Checks should be carried out on the main drive system components, landing and car doors suspension ropes and chains, governors, safety gear, overload detection devices, braking systems and electrical devices - although this is by no means an exhaustive list.

In line with the HSE and LOLER guidelines, we here at KEP Lifts use an independent testing company to carry out examinations on your behalf and provide reports to the duty holder. Our independent testing partner is fully accredited for testing, inspection and certification.

If you’d like to find out more about our lift inspections or Service and Maintenance Agreements, get in touch with us today.

Step-free access to the Northern Line at Waterloo station has moved a step closer after a deal was agreed with the developer of an office block being constructed directly above the station.

Building.co.uk reports that Elizabeth House, an office block that runs alongside Waterloo Station is scheduled to be demolished, and developers are contributing to local area improvements as part of the planning condition, including enabling step-free access to the Northern line platforms.

According to the planning documents, adding a lift shaft to the Bakerloo Line can be achieved without any interference to surface buildings, but lifts to the Northern Line will only be able to be built if the surface buildings are demolished.

This means the planned demolition of Elizabeth House provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to provide the Northern Line with a lift shaft and step-free access.

The cost of providing the lift shaft to safeguard the possibility for step-free access to the Northern Line is estimated to be £4.5 million, although the developer is only liable for £1.8 million of the costs.

Additional funding will be needed to complete the work, and according to the Lambeth Council planning documents, is likely to come from TfL with possible funding sources being the TfL Business Plan and potential contributions from other schemes.

The plans would require the developer to construct a 2.5-metre lift shaft from the ground to 2.5 metres below the level of the Northern Line, to allow for the lift equipment to fit in underneath.

When completed the lift will operate from the lower concourse level that already exists down to the platform level of the Northern line.

When completed, the Elizabeth House redevelopment will be renamed One Waterloo, and will also include a promenade that will provide an acre of green space, open to the public and accessible directly from the Waterloo Station concourse linking the mainline station with York Road.

If you need a lift solution, talk to our Customer Service team today on 01843 610060 or visit www.keplifts.co.uk.

Canary Wharf is famous for its plethora of skyscrapers, but the latest tower may continue a trend away from office buildings and towards the residential sector.

A consultation has been started by Canary Wharf Group over the possibility of switching the planned purpose of its latest skyscraper, raising the prospect of the 60-storey building at 1A Park Place becoming a residential hub for around 700 homes, Bloomberg reports.

If the plans are amended, that may mean the company will need to speak to lift consultants about the very different needs that might be required by the residents of hundreds of different homes, rather than a smaller number of offices that each contains more people.

Particular differences will include issues of 24-hour access and the safety and security implications for this.

The original plans were for a building containing 215 million square foot, which Bloomberg notes is twice the available space in the iconic ‘Gherkin’ skyscraper in the City of London.

Canary Wharf Group is considering the switch as a response to the pandemic, which has led to a decline in rental income from offices due to people working from home, as well as the potential prospect that remote working may become an established trend, reducing the need for office space.  

By contrast, there is a growing need for housing in London and this is particularly true in the east of the capital, which has seen the highest growth in recent years and is expected to continue doing so.

In the last census a decade ago, the two boroughs with the highest rate of population growth in the UK were Tower Hamlets and Newham. This year’s census may provide confirmation of this as a longer-term trend.

Accommodating a higher number of residents in an already densely-populated part of the capital may require more towers to be built. This will mean many more lifts being required with the needs of those living there 24/7 in mind.

The development of ever taller skyscrapers coincides with the constant innovation and development of the passenger lift. In fact, were it not for Elisha Otis’ innovative safety elevator, the gigantic buildings that threaten to pierce the skies above major cities would not be possible.

Currently the tallest complete and functional lift is in the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai has the record for the tallest lift in the world, spanning 504m of the 828m building.

It has held this record since the building’s completion in 2009, although should Jeddah Tower be completed it is set to have a 660m tall lift.

Part of the problem with building a lift that size is the need to scale up the cables and other mechanisms.

At one point it was believed that travelling more than 500m was impossible because the steel cabling became so thick it needed cables to support the cables.

This problem was sorted by the creation of a friction-proof carbon-fibre material that was seven times lighter and theoretically makes a 1km lift possible.

As well as racing to build the tallest lifts, these super skyscrapers also need lifts that are incredibly fast without being uncomfortable. There is currently an upper limit to this caused by the human body.

Skyscrapers are so tall that there is a change of air pressure before you reach the top, as air gets thinner. This causes big problems when descending as passengers can feel that rapid compression, usually in the form of ear discomfort.

This is the same reason why you can feel your ears pop during a flight, and this will be a limiting factor that requires clever traffic management and air-pressure adjustment to minimise the effects.

For many people, buying and having bespoke stairlifts installed has been incredibly important for boosting their quality of life.

However, a stairlift is also a huge investment, and so needs to be able to suit your needs not just presently but in case your mobility needs progress in the future.

Here are some considerations to make when buying a Stairlift.

Does It Suit Your Physical Needs?

Stairlifts come in all shapes and sizes, but most of all they need to transport you comfortably, safely and easily from one floor to the next.

Everyone has different needs, and your stairlift needs to be able to comfortably transport you. For example, if you have chronic knee pain, a seated stairlift may not be the best option compared to a perching or standing stairlift to relieve pain.

As well as this, safely being able to use the controls is essential, and adaptations such as a joystick are available if required.

As well as this, it is important to ensure that the stairlift you install is suitable for your height and weight

Does It Suit Your Home Layout?

There are as many types of stairlift as there are staircases. However, the two main factors to bear in mind are the design of the staircase and its width.

The cheapest type of stairlift is a straight stairlift. However, it is important to bear in mind that many staircases have a curve either at the top or bottom, which would not make these types of stairlift suitable if you cannot traverse any step comfortably.

As well as this, the chair part needs to be considered, with slimmer perch and small seats available for narrower staircases.

As technology advances at a phenomenal rate, it can be hard to know what devices to invest in, and what is going to be a passing fad. Here are some of the most useful smart tech investments for homeowners, which will improve the efficiency of your home and bring you extra comfort and peace of mind.

1. Smart Heating Controls

Apps which enable you to digitally control your heating can improve the energy efficiency of your home. They allow you to set schedules, control temperature, and turn the heating on remotely so your home is warm and comfortable when you arrive. The app will also alert you if the heating is left on while you are away, saving you money.

2. Home Lifts

Modern home lifts are stylish, quiet, and reliable, and are becoming a popular choice for those carrying out home renovations. Many people now have a domestic lift installed to avoid the disruption of having to leave a much-loved family home as they get older. Others simply prefer the convenience and elegant use of space offered by a bespoke lift.

For those who have difficulty managing the stairs, or have early diagnosis of a progressive degenerative illness, a home lift can give them the peace of mind of being able to stay in place with their loved ones for as long as possible. It also creates a home that is accessible to all visitors, and saves the need for costly ground floor bathroom renovations.

3. Smart Security Systems

Keeping your home and its occupants safe and protected is essential to your peace of mind. Smart home security systems combine burglar alarms with technology that allows you to monitor your home from an app on your phone or other portable device. There are many options on the market, so it is worth having a browse for what would suit you best.

Catering can be tricky business, especially if the layout of your premises means that there are lots of stairs to contend with, but there is an answer to your woes - the dumbwaiter!

These have been used for food preparation and serving for years, and they could revolutionise the way you do business… so here are some FAQs about them that could help you decide whether they’re right for you or not.

What are dumbwaiters?

Dumbwaiters are also known as kitchen, catering or service lifts and they’re used to move goods from one place to another over different floor levels. Some can be loaded at waist height or floor level, making everything far more efficient, while improving health and safety standards.

How much weight can they carry?

These lifts have a max load capacity of over 100kg and they’re available in a number of different sizes, so you’re sure to be able to find one that suits your needs.

How do dumbwaiters work?

The early versions of these microlifts featured a rope around a pulley, so they could be brought up and down manually, but these days they’re powered electrically so you don’t have to worry about upper body strength. Just push a button and away you go!

How do you keep food hot in these lifts?

Heaters are available for microlifts and you can either choose to have the shelves heated or choose an infrared heated lift car, so there’s no need to worry that your food will go cold in transit.

If you’d like to find out more, get in touch with KEP Lifts today.

Bosses at Network Rail have apologised over its shortcomings when disabled passengers were denied lift facilities during refurbishment work at Manchester Victoria Station in 2019.

Those affected included wheelchair user Julian Sorfleet, who told the Manchester Evening News he had to drag himself up the steps to reach the platform due to the lack of any adequate wheelchair platform lifts.

He had already waited 20 minutes for a motorised stair walker to arrive and the device was unable to lift the combined weight of Mr Sorfleet and his wheelchair, forcing the passenger to make the arduous half-hour crawl up the stairs.

He remarked: "It beggars belief how disabled people are meant to manage as I can't be the only person that this has happened to or will happen to again."

Mr Sorfleet and other disabled passengers were affected when work was taking place to replace the three lifts at the station.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) criticised Network Rail for failing to make an impact assessment of its work on disabled passengers or to consult with them.

Network Rail’s north west route has now entered into a legally-binding agreement to avoid discrimination against disabled passengers and route director Phil James has acknowledged that carrying out work in a way that left all three station lifts out of action at the same time was a major mistake.

“This was the wrong thing to do and we are deeply sorry for the distress and inconvenience this caused mobility-assisted passengers,” he said.

However, there may be some future benefits for users of wheelchair lifts and other disabled access facilities in stations across the north west region, as Network Rail has promised to consult with disabled passengers over ways to improve access to facilities and platforms.

The disability access failings at Victoria Station may have been all the more galling for the fact that the station has seen major improvements as a whole in recent years, including an entirely new roof.

It has also been working to improve drainage around the station to reduce the risk of flooding.

The Covid-19 pandemic is showing no signs of abating and concerns over returning to workplaces remain for many people. With the UK back in lockdown, many have returned to remote working but at some point we will return to offices and other workplaces.

Businesses therefore have to consider how they can ensure the safety of their staff and visitors to their facilities and touchless technology is likely to play an important role.

As an article for Facility Executive recently noted, now is certainly a good time to consider the benefits touchless elevators could bring.

The publication pointed out that concerns over how clean lift buttons are is not new, but that it has been given a renewed importance in 2020. It cited research from a 2014 study which found that there was more bacteria on the buttons in an elevator than on toilet flushers in hospitals, for instance.

Aside from the hygiene side of it though, touchless lifts can bring additional benefits, particularly to security. For instance, the publication noted that a touchless elevator system could integrate with security systems to restrict access to certain floors, for instance.

Such systems could also use the internet of things (IoT) and integrate seamlessly with people’s smartphones.

As an article for Engadget noted, touchless lift controls could also involve using gesture control, which might be more appropriate for public spaces.

If it’s time to refurbish the access in your building, it could certainly be worth exploring the options for bespoke platform lifts and other kinds of elevators that incorporate this type of technology to ensure your facility is ready for what the future holds.