Republic of Latvia Cabinet Regulation No. 679 Adopted 17 November 2020

Regulations Regarding Safety and Technical Supervision of Lifts and Vertical Lifting Platforms

Issued pursuant to Section 3, Paragraph two of the law
On Technical Supervision of Dangerous Equipment

I. General Provisions

1. The Regulation prescribes the requirements to be complied with when organising and carrying out the works with lifts and vertical lifting platforms (hereinafter - the lifting platforms), and also the procedures for technical supervision thereof.

2. The Regulation shall apply to:

2.1. the lifts which are permanently used in buildings and constructions for the servicing of certain floors and which are intended for transporting persons or persons and goods in a completely closed (enclosed) lift car (hereinafter - the car) if transportation is carried out in a partly closed (enclosed) or closed well;

2.2. the lifting platforms which are permanently used in buildings and constructions for the servicing of certain floors and which are intended for transporting persons or persons and goods with a partly closed (enclosed) platform (hereinafter - the platform) if transportation is carried out in a closed (enclosed) well and the lifting height is more than three metres.

3. The following may be in use:

3.1. the lifts which conform to laws and regulations regarding the design and manufacture of lifts and safety components thereof, and installation and conformity assessment of lifts;

3.2. the lifts to which laws and regulations are not applicable regarding the design and manufacture of lifts and safety components thereof, and installation and conformity assessment of lifts, but which conform to the requirements laid down in Chapters II and III of this Regulation;

3.3. the lifting platforms which conform to laws and regulations regarding safety of machinery.

4. The Ministry of Economics, in cooperation with the technical standardisation committee, shall submit to the national standardisation body for the publication on its website the list of the applicable standards which may be applied for the fulfilment of the requirements of this Regulation.

5. The lifts referred to in Sub-paragraph 3.2 of this Regulation which conform to the applicable standards (or parts thereof) shall be regarded to be corresponding to the essential safety requirements referred to in Chapter II of this Regulation which are covered by the applicable standards.

6. Safety assessment of lifts, technical inspections of lifts and lifting platforms shall be carried out by the inspection authority which is accredited by the national accreditation body in accordance with the laws and regulations regarding assessment, accreditation, and supervision of conformity assessment bodies (hereinafter - the inspection authority).

7. Safety assessment of lifts, technical inspections of lifts and lifting platforms which are carried out in accordance with the requirements laid down in the applicable standards (or parts thereof) shall be regarded to be corresponding to the requirements of this Regulation which are covered by the applicable standards.

II. Essential Safety Requirements for Lifts

8. A lift is suitable for the function intended for it and it may be used, adjusted, and serviced without causing threat to human life, health, property, and environment.

9. If there are risks which are not determined in this Chapter, the essential safety requirements laid down in the laws and regulations regarding safety of machinery shall be applicable to the lift.

10. If due to lift construction and functionality it is not possible to meet the essential safety requirements laid down in this Chapter to full extent, the possessor of the lift shall, after coordination with the inspection authority, take the necessary protection measures in order to reduce risks which are not possible to prevent, and inform the lift users and service personnel of the lift about remaining risks by installing safety signs (warning, prohibition, order, information signs).

11. A lift shall be equipped with the car which conforms to intended maximum number of persons to be transported and rated load of the lift which is determined by the manufacturer or installer of the lift.

12. The means of suspension and support of the car, attachments and terminal parts thereof shall ensure corresponding safety level and reduce the risk of fall of the car by taking into account the conditions for use of the lift, materials to be used, and conditions for manufacture.

13. If ropes are used for the car suspension, at least two independent rope systems shall be used and each system shall have its own attachment.

14. Ropes in the suspension system shall be without joints or splices, except for the places where it is necessary for the suspension of the rope or for making a loop.

15. A lift shall be equipped with overspeed governors, except for the cases when the lift drive system is constructed so as to not allow overspeed.

16. The lift the car of which is transported with traction sheaves shall be ensured with the stability of traction rope on a sheave and protection of a traction sheave against entering of foreign objects.

17. Passenger lifts shall have individual lift drive unit.

18. The lift machine room, pulley room, lift well and lift devices related thereto shall be closed and they shall be available only for the performance of technical maintenance and also in emergency cases.

19. Before entry of the service personnel in a lift well, regular operation of the lift shall be stopped.

20. The functions of controls of a lift shall be expressly and unequivocally specified.

21. Electrical devices of a lift must be installed and connected so that:

21.1. it would not be possible to confuse them with circuits which do not have any direct relation with lift;

21.2. the movement of the lift is dependent on electric safety devices which are connected in a separate electric safety chain.

22. The car levelling and stopping precision shall not cause risks for lift users or material values.

23. The car movement acceleration or deceleration shall not cause risk to the persons in the car.

24. In order to prevent the risk of crushing persons when the car is in any of extreme states of movement, a free space or shelter shall be ensured. If it is not possible to ensure free space or shelter, other suitable means shall be used for the prevention of the risk of crushing.

25. Between the lift well floor and car floor shall be buffers which at the state of maximum compression ensure the free space referred to in Paragraph 24 of this Regulation.

26. The doorframes in a lift well which are intended for entry in the car and exit from it shall be resilient lift well door appropriate for use conditions.

27. Interlocking devices shall prevent:

27.1. the commencement of the car movement while the lift well door is not closed and locked;

27.2. opening of the lift well door while the car is still moving and not placed at a landing.

28. The car shall be completely closed (enclosed) with walls (from the floor until ceiling), with the car door (at the height of doorframe), with closely tight floor and ceiling, except for ventilation apertures.

29. The car shall not move if the car door is opened.

30. The car shall immediately stop if its door is being opened.

31. If there is no lift well or there is risk that a person can fall down between the car and well, the lift car door shall remain closed and locked if the car has stopped between the floors.

32. The lift shall be ensured with the relevant devices in order to prevent free fall or movement beyond control of the car in case of energy supply interruptions or damage of the parts.

33. The devices which restrict the free fall of the car shall be independent from the car suspension type (means of suspension). The abovementioned devices shall suspend also the fall of the car in its rated load which is moving with the maximum speed intended by the lift manufacturer or installer.

34. The lift operation shall not be possible if the devices referred to in Paragraph 32 of this Regulation are not in working order.

35. The lift well door and car door or both doors, unless they are automated, shall be equipped with the device which prevents the risk of crushing a person while the doors are moving.

36. The lift well door (also those having glass components) shall be resilient against open flame, against thermal radiation and retain integrity and insulation properties if the requirements for fire safety of structures laid down in laws and regulation are to be applied to them.

37. No pipes, electrical installations or other constructions may be present in the lift well, machine room, and pulley room, except for those which are necessary for the lift operation and safety.

38. Counterweight shall be installed so as to avoid any risk for it to run into the car or fall on it.

39. The lift shall be equipped with means with which it is possible to release persons and evacuate them from the lift in case of emergency.

40. The car shall be equipped with means of two-way communication with the help of which the persons present in the lift car can communicate with the persons who ensure the calling for help and evacuation of persons. The means of communication shall function also in the case when there is no electric power supply for the operating conditions intended for lift use, and the duration of their operation is sufficient to ensure release of passengers and evacuation in cases of emergency.

41. The motor of the lift machine shall be ensured protection against overheating.

42. Sufficient ventilation (also in the case when the lift is stopped for a long time) and lighting shall be permanently ensured for passengers in the car.

43. The car shall have an emergency lighting which functions also when there is no electric power supply during the operating conditions intended for lift use, and the duration of emergency lighting operation shall be sufficient to ensure release of passengers and evacuation in cases of emergency.

44. The lift intended for persons with functional disorders shall be equipped with the car the dimensions of which allow for the movement of such persons and the controls of which are constructed and placed so as to ease the use of the lift.

45. The plate on which the following information is expressly indicated shall be placed in a visible place in the car:

45.1. the name of the lift manufacturer or installer;

45.2. the designation of the lift model, series or type;

45.3. the year of installation of the lift;

45.4. the rated load of the lift in kilograms;

45.5. the maximum number of passengers.

46. The lift shall have at least the following documentation for use in the official language:

46.1. the instructions for use (manual) with drawings and descriptions which are necessary for the use of the lift, technical maintenance (including the procedures for the maintenance and supervision), repairs, and regular checks, inspection, and also release and evacuation of persons in emergency cases;

46.2. the instructions for use of the safety components of the lift where the information on installation, connection, adjustment and technical maintenance of the safety components is indicated;

46.3. the register with notations about the maintenance measures of the lift ensured by the possessor - inspections, maintenances, repairs, reconstruction, modernisation (hereinafter - the maintenance measures), safety assessment, risk assessment, and current technical inspections.

III. Lift Safety Assessment and Risk Prevention

47. The possessor of a lift shall be responsible for the lift safety assessment and risk prevention in the scope and within the time periods laid down in this Chapter.

48. The lift safety assessment shall be carried out not later than:

48.1. within a year from the day of coming into force of this Regulation - in respect of the lifts with manual well door the well door locking device of which is not equipped with additional electric safety device which controls well door locking;

48.2. within two years from the day of coming into force of this Regulation - in respect of the lifts with manual well door;

48.3. within three years from the day of coming into force of this Regulation - in respect of the lifts with automated well door.

49. When assessing lift safety, the inspection authority shall:

49.1. assess the conformity of the lifts with the essential safety requirements referred to in Chapter II of this Regulation;

49.2. assess the established non-conformity risk level as "very high", "high", "medium", low";

49.3. verify the conformity of the plan for the measures for risk prevention or reduction (hereinafter - the plan) prepared by the possessor with the essential safety requirements referred to in Chapter II of this Regulation.

50. Within a month after completion of the lift safety assessment, the inspection authority shall prepare the lift safety assessment protocol which is issued to the possessor of the lift and update the information on the inspection carried out in the Register of Dangerous Equipment (hereinafter - the Register). The following information shall be indicated in the protocol:

50.1. the established non-conformities with the essential safety requirements referred to in Chapter II of this Regulation;

50.2. risks caused by the non-conformities and risk level.

51. The possessor of the lift shall append the lift safety assessment protocol to the documentation for use of the lift.

52. In order to prevent the risks established, the possessor shall:

52.1. within six months from the day of receipt of the lift safety assessment protocol, prepare the plan and submit it in paper form or as electronic document for the evaluation to the inspection authority which has carried out the lift safety assessment;

52.2. the plan shall be appended to the documentation for use of the lift;

52.3. in accordance with the plan, take the risk prevention or reduction measures within the time periods laid down in Paragraph 54 of this Regulation.

53. The inspection authority shall update the Register with the information on the plan prepared by the possessor.

54. Risk prevention or reduction measures of the lift shall be taken within the following time periods depending on the risk level:

54.1. very high risk - the lift use shall be interrupted until the risk prevention or reduction measures are taken and opinion of the inspection authority on the rectification of the established risks is received;

54.2. high risk - within five years from the day of updating the Register referred to in Paragraph 53 of this Regulation;

54.3. medium risk - within ten years from the day of updating the Register referred to in Paragraph 53 of this Regulation;

54.4. low risk - within fifteen years from the day of updating the Register referred to in Paragraph 53 of this Regulation.

IV. Technical Inspections, Supervision, and Control of Lifts and Lifting Platforms

55. The inspection authority shall, upon request of the possessor of the lift or lifting platform on the basis of the contract prior to the registration of the lift or lifting platform in the Register, carry out the first-time technical inspection but in respect of the lifts or lifting platforms registered with the Register shall carry out current technical inspections, repeated technical inspections in the cases referred to in Paragraph 60 of this Regulation, and also extraordinary technical inspections in the cases referred to in Paragraph 62 of this Regulation.

56. The inspection authority shall assess the lift or lifting platform in the technical inspection with any of the following assessments:

56.1. non-conformities have not been established - assessment 0;

56.2. minor non-conformities have been established which do not cause any significant threats to human life, health, property or environment - assessment 1;

56.3. significant non-conformities have been established which may cause threats to human life, health, property or environment - assessment 2;

56.4. dangerous non-conformities have been established which cause direct threats to human life, health, property or environment - assessment 3.

57. The inspection authority shall carry out the first-time technical inspection in the following scope:

57.1. examine the conformity of the lift and lifting platform certification with the requirements referred to in Paragraph 3 of this Regulation;

57.2. examine the documentation for use of the lift or lifting platform, including the conformity of the data included in the documentation with the particular lift or lifting platform;

57.3. carry out the technical inspection of the lift or lifting platform in accordance with Paragraph 58 of this Regulation.

58. During the use of the lift or lifting platform, the current technical inspection shall be carried out at least once every 12 months by inspecting the following:

58.1. the conformity of the lift or lifting platform with the essential safety requirements;

58.2. the conformity of the lift or lifting platform with the requirements laid down in the documentation for use.

59. The inspection authority is entitled to reduce the periodicity of technical inspections by taking into account the technical condition of the lift or lifting platform.

60. Repeated technical inspection shall be carried out for the lifts or lifting platforms which have been assessed with 2 in the current technical inspection.

61. The scope of the repeated technical inspection shall be determined by the inspection authority by taking into account the non-conformities established during the current technical inspection and technical condition of the lift or lifting platform, and also by assessing other visible non-conformities which have arisen after the last technical inspection or had not been established.

62. An extraordinary technical inspection of the lift or lifting platform shall be carried out in the following cases:

62.1. after changes in lifting height of the lift or lifting platform;

62.2. after replacement of the platform, car or counterweight of the car;

62.3. after replacement of the following parts of the lift or lifting platform:

62.3.1. a well door;

62.3.2. supporting elements (ropes, chains, belts);

62.3.3. traction sheaves;

62.3.4. door locking devices;

62.3.5. devices which prevent the fall of the car or platform or non-controlled movement thereof;

62.3.6. overspeed governor;

62.3.7. bumpers;

62.3.8. main lifting hydraulic cylinder;

62.3.9. safety devices fitted to the jack of hydraulic power circuit in order to prevent the fall;

62.3.10. electric safety devices in the form of safety circuits containing electronic components;

62.3.11. other electric safety devices;

62.4. before resuming the use of the lift or lifting platform after accident by taking into account the procedures laid down in the laws and regulations regarding investigation of the accidents of dangerous equipment;

62.5. upon a justified request of the official of the Consumer Rights Protection Centre.

63. The inspection authority shall carry out the extraordinary technical inspection in such scope in order to assess safe use of the lift by taking into account the provisions referred to in Paragraph 62 of this Regulation.

64. If the inspection authority has carried out protective stamping of safety devices, it shall be indicated in the technical inspection protocol.

65. The inspection authority shall, after carrying out the technical inspection, update the information in the Register by completing the technical inspection protocol, indicate the detailed results of the technical inspection and, upon request of the lift or lifting platform possessor, issue the technical inspection protocol.

66. If the lift or lifting platform conforms to the requirements of this Regulation, the inspection authority shall attach the check mark of the dangerous equipment in a visible place in the lift car or control panel of the lifting platform in conformity with the laws and regulations regarding a check mark of dangerous equipment.

67. If the inspection authority assesses the lift or lifting platform in technical inspection with 0 or 1, further use of the lift or lifting platform is allowed.

68. If the inspection authority assesses the lift or lifting platform in the technical inspection with 2:

68.1. the inspection authority shall attach the check mark of the dangerous equipment in a visible place in the lift car or control panel of the lifting platform that the use of the lift or lifting platform is allowed for 30 days. During this time period the possessor shall rectify the established non-conformities and ensure repeated technical inspection during which the lift or lifting platform must obtain the assessment 0 or 1;

68.2. if the possessor fails to ensure the carrying out of repeated technical inspection within 30 days, further use of the lift or lifting platform is not allowed until rectification of the established non-conformities and carrying out of current technical inspection during which the lift or lifting platform must obtain the assessment 0 or 1.

69. If the inspection authority assesses the lift or lifting platform in the technical inspection with 3, further use of the lift or lifting platform is not allowed until rectification of the established non-conformities and carrying out of current technical inspection during which the lift or lifting platform must obtain the assessment 0 or 1.

70. If the lift safety assessment or risk prevention is not carried out for the lift in accordance with the procedures laid down in Chapter III of this Regulation, the inspection authority shall assess the lift in the technical inspection with 3.

71. When carrying out the supervision and control of lifts or lifting platforms, the Consumer Rights Protection Centre is entitled to prohibit to use the lift or lifting platform if the technical inspection has not been carried out in accordance with the procedures laid down in this Chapter.

V. Organising Safe Use of Lifts and Lifting Platforms

72. The possessor of a lift or lifting platform shall be liable for organising safe use of the lift or lifting platform in conformity with the requirements laid down in this Regulation and documentation for use of the lift or lifting platform.

73. The use of a lift or lifting platform is prohibited in the following cases:

73.1. the lift or lifting platform is not registered with the Register;

73.2. the technical inspection has not been carried out for the lift or lifting platform within the time periods and in accordance with the procedures laid down in Chapter IV of this Regulation.

74. The possessor of a lift or lifting platform has the obligations laid down in Section 14 of the law On Technical Supervision of Dangerous Equipment, including the obligation to ensure that:

74.1. the documentation for use of the manufacturer or installer is available for the lift and the documentation for use of the manufacturer is available for the lifting platform. If the relevant documentation for use is not available to the possessor, the possessor shall ensure that it is prepared until the time of carrying out the technical inspection;

74.2. the documentation for use of the lift or lifting platform is continuously updated;

74.3. during the entire service life the lift meets the requirements laid down in Sub-paragraph 3.1 or 3.2 of this Regulation and documentation for use of the lift;

74.4. during the entire service life the lifting platform meets the requirements laid down in Sub-paragraph 3.3 of this Regulation and documentation for use of the lifting platform;

74.5. the maintenance measures of the lift or lifting platform are taken in conformity with the documentation for use and requirements laid down in this Regulation;

74.6. such safety components of the lift are used in the maintenance measures of the lift which conform to the laws and regulations regarding the design and manufacture of lifts and safety components thereof, installation and conformity assessment of lifts;

74.7. such safety components of lifting platforms are used in the maintenance measures of the lifting platform which conform to the laws and regulations regarding safety of machinery;

74.8. the information on the maintenance measures of the lift or lifting platform is updated in the register referred to in Sub-paragraph 46.3 of this Regulation;

74.9. the technical inspections referred to in Chapter IV of this Regulation are carried out in a timely manner;

74.10. in case of interruption of the operation of the lift or lifting platform or accident, the passengers of the lift or lifting platform are evacuated;

74.11. the plate on which the name of the servicing merchant of lifts or lifting platforms, the address of the installation of the lift or lifting platform, the phone number for communication (including with the possibility to receive and send a message) and information on the action in case of the accident of the lift shall be placed in a visible place in the lift car or on the lifting platform.

75. If the circumstances referred to in Paragraph 73 of this Regulation have set in, the possessor shall ensure the closing of the well door of the lift or lifting platform from the side of floor areas and place the information in the vicinity thereof on interruption of the operation of the lift or lifting platform.

VI. Closing Provisions

76. Cabinet Regulation No. 195 of 2 March 2010, Regulations Regarding Safety and Technical Supervision of Lifts (Latvijas Vēstnesis, 2010, No. 37; 2018, No. 245), is repealed.

77. Lifts which meet Cabinet Regulation No. 195 of 2 March 2010, Regulations Regarding Safety and Technical Supervision of Lifts, shall conform to the requirements of this Regulation for as long as the technical inspection protocol thereof issued in conformity with Cabinet Regulation No. 195 of 2 March 2010, Regulations Regarding Safety and Technical Supervision of Lifts, is in effect.

78. The Regulation shall come into force on 1 April 2022.

Prime Minister A. K. Kariņš

Minister for Economics J Vitenbergs

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Translation © 2023 Valsts valodas centrs (State Language Centre)