01
Start with these eight checks.
Ask the responsible engineer to review the complete arrangement. This checklist helps you prepare; the applicable requirements and suitability depend on the actual lift.
- Voice and communication points
Confirm clear two-way speech and the voice-station locations needed for the lift.
- The right lift and receiver
Confirm lift identification, who answers calls and the agreed assistance procedure.
- A suitable connection
Check the telephone, gateway, line or SIM and required voice functions together.
- Backup power
Include the telephone and any separately powered connection equipment. Power-cut guidance
- Automatic tests and faults
Agree the test arrangements, who receives results and who acts on failures. Test-call guidance
- Usable controls and indications
Check passenger controls, audible/visual indications and applicable accessibility requirements.
- Installation and records
Keep commissioning results, equipment details and the agreed scope. Records to keep
- Ongoing responsibility
Name who manages maintenance, batteries, service renewals and future changes.
02
Common questions, answered.
What happens during a power cut?
The backup arrangement needs to cover the relevant communication equipment, including any separately powered gateway or router. The responsible engineer should establish the performance needed for the installation. Read the power-cut guidance
What is the three-day test call?
It is an automatic check to a test receiver. Confirm the applicable interval, configuration and response to missing or failed calls for your installation. Read the test-call guidance
Do all older lifts need the same new autodialler?
No universal replacement decision follows from age alone. The lift’s existing arrangements, risks, applicable requirements and proposed changes need review. A suitable existing telephone may remain with a compatible connection; another lift may need a fuller upgrade.
What is the difference between two-way speech and a 2-way system?
Two-way speech means a conversation in both directions. In our quotation form, a 2, 3 or 4-point arrangement describes the number of communication stations you want considered. Their locations and functions still need confirmation.
Does a manufacturer’s EN 81-28 statement cover my whole lift?
No. It describes the product in its stated context. The installed stations, connection, power, receiving service and commissioning all need to work together. Obtain the records for the actual arrangement.
Does a LOLER examination replace alarm maintenance?
No. HSE distinguishes thorough examination from maintenance and inspection. Keep the appropriate arrangements for each. For lifting equipment carrying people within LOLER, examination is normally every six months unless a competent person’s written scheme sets a different interval. See HSE guidance
Must I use a particular answering company?
The receiving organisation must be suitable for the required call, identification, availability and assistance arrangements. This site does not prescribe one provider or include a standalone answering contract. Confirm the actual receiver and responsibilities in the proposal.
Can I use any mobile SIM?
Do not assume that any consumer or data SIM is suitable. The chosen device, voice capability, network service, subscription and management arrangements need to match. Ask who owns the account and how renewals, low use and faults are handled.
Does a gateway make the system compliant?
A gateway changes part of the connection. It does not by itself establish the suitability of the telephone, communication points, backup power or receiving procedure. The complete installed arrangement needs checking.
Can one SIM or unit serve several lifts?
Some products support grouped arrangements, but capacity, lift identification, required functions and installation design depend on the selected system. Give the number of lifts and sites; Forge will identify the proposed arrangement rather than assume one subscription per order.
Who is responsible after installation?
Agree the responsibilities explicitly: building management, lift maintainer, connection/SIM provider and call receiver may each have a role. Handover should say who checks, receives faults, maintains equipment and acts on a missed test.
Can this page tell me whether my lift is compliant?
It helps you prepare and ask the right questions. A competent reviewer needs the site information, applicable requirements and evidence from the installation to reach that conclusion. Request help reviewing the arrangement
03
Which rules and standards matter?
BS EN 81-28 addresses remote alarm systems on passenger and goods passenger lifts. It is a technical standard, not a blanket certificate produced by buying a particular telephone. Ask the responsible engineer to identify the applicable edition and requirements for your lift, including its age, type and the proposed work.
The Lifts Regulations concern the supply and putting into service of lifts within their scope. Workplace use, inspection and maintenance can bring LOLER and PUWER duties into the picture; HSE also explains responsibilities for lifts used by the public. An older lift is not automatically assessed in exactly the same way as a new installation.
The useful outcome is a recorded scope and competent assessment of this installation. Existing examination reports, manufacturer instructions and previous alarm records help establish what is needed.
BSI: BS EN 81-28 scope · Government: Lifts Regulations guidance · HSE: passenger lifts
04
What is the three-day test call?
An automatic test call is a scheduled check from the alarm system to its test receiver. AVIRE’s manufacturer guidance describes checks at intervals of no more than three days. The applicable standard edition, equipment functions, receiving setup and failure response must be confirmed for the installation.
Ask who sees a failed or missing test, what action follows and where the records are kept. These checks do not replace coordinated tests of speech and identification, maintenance or the relevant lift examination. Do not make unannounced alarm test calls yourself.
05
What happens during a power cut?
The required backup performance needs to be established for the system being installed. Include the telephone and any separately powered gateway, router or interface on the alarm path; the lift’s main supply or one battery specification does not establish the result for everything else.
The quotation and commissioning records should identify the equipment supported, required performance, checks performed and responsibility for battery condition and replacement. There is no universal battery-runtime promise on this site.
06
What evidence should I keep?
- The agreed scope, proposed equipment and applicable requirements identified by the responsible engineer.
- The installed make/model and communication-point locations, plus the parts retained.
- Commissioning results for the agreed call functions, speech, identification and relevant power conditions.
- The call receiver, assistance procedure, test-receiving arrangements and contacts for faults.
- Who manages the SIM or line, service renewals, battery maintenance and regular checks.
- Relevant lift examination reports and a process for closing outstanding actions.
Keep these records with the building’s lift information and include them when management or maintenance providers change. For a portfolio, keep the status and next action against each lift, rather than treating a single order as evidence for every site.
07
What if the alarm may not be working?
Report a suspected failure promptly to the responsible lift provider and building dutyholder. They need to assess the risk and agree any restrictions or action needed. Do not assume normal lift movement means emergency communication is available.
If someone is trapped, use the lift alarm and the building’s emergency procedure; this website’s enquiry form does not dispatch assistance. Do not attempt wiring changes, programming or a rescue yourself.
Desk research checked 16 October 2026. BSI scope; GOV.UK Lifts Regulations guidance; HSE passenger lifts; HSE thorough examination; AVIRE manufacturer explanation The applicable requirements and suitability must be confirmed for the actual installation.