This edition of LIN looks at a topic I have taken a keen interest in for a number of years; evacuation lifts. Evacuation lifts have been discussed within the industry for many years, mainly, it has to be said, in relation to the evacuation of tall office buildings. However, in more recent times the debate has moved on to include tall residential buildings, something brought into sharp focus by the tragic events of the Grenfell fire. It is against this background that we have seen the introduction of the London Plan and Building Safety Act (BSA). Add to this the draft standard for evacuation of people with disabilities, EN 81-76, and we f ind we have three new areas of compliance to consider in building design and operation.

The combined introduction of these new requirements will, without doubt, have a profound impact on the design and operation of buildings, with special attention being paid to the safe evacuation of those with disabilities. While the London Plan is just that, a plan for London, it is reasonable to suggest that its approach to evacuation for disabled people may well become a benchmark for other regions and be broadly implemented nationally.