LOLER 1998 · Lifting equipment

Vacuum lift thorough examination

Independent thorough examination and certification of your vacuum lift as lifting equipment, by a competent person under LOLER.

A vacuum lift carries a person on nothing but air. A turbine at the top of a sealed tube draws the air out above the capsule, and the higher pressure below pushes it up. With no ropes, counterweight or piston, the examination turns to the seals, the valves and the brakes that catch the capsule if the vacuum is lost.

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  • Independent and impartial
  • Competent engineer surveyors
  • Reports issued promptly
6 monthsThe interval for a vacuum lift, because it carries a person
DriveA turbine head that lifts the capsule on a pressure difference
Fall arrestBrakes that grip the columns if the vacuum is lost
ReportA Report of Thorough Examination, your legal record
Lifting equipment we examine

Why your vacuum lift needs LOLER examination

A pneumatic vacuum lift, the panoramic capsule that travels inside a clear tube, is a passenger lift in the eyes of LOLER: it carries a person, so it is thoroughly examined at least every six months by a competent person independent of whoever maintains it. It has fewer moving parts than a roped or hydraulic lift, which sometimes leads people to think it needs less attention. The opposite is true, because its safety case rests on a small number of components that have to be right.

The drive is air. Turbines at the head of the tube reduce the pressure above the capsule to lift it, and a controlled valve lets air back in to lower it gently. A competent person proves that turbine and valve assembly, and then the things the whole principle depends on: the tube and capsule door seals, since a leak means no lift, the mechanical car locks that anchor the capsule at each landing while people get in and out, and the fall-arrest brakes that grip the columns within seconds if the vacuum is lost. The controlled descent on a power failure, which brings the capsule gently to the ground rather than leaving anyone stranded, is proven too.

Pneumatic vacuum lifts
Air-driven home and workplace lifts
Turbine and pump assembly
Control and inlet valves
Tube and capsule door seals
Mechanical car locks at landings
Fall-arrest brakes
Power-failure controlled descent
How it works

How we examine your vacuum lift

A competent person rides the capsule through its travel and proves the parts the air principle relies on. We examine the turbine and valve assembly, the tube and door seals on which the whole vacuum depends, test the mechanical car locks that anchor the capsule at each landing, prove the fall-arrest brakes that grip the columns on a loss of vacuum, and check the controlled descent on a power failure, because a lift that runs on air is only as safe as the parts that hold it when the air is gone.

  • 1

    Get in touch

    Tell us the vacuum lifts you have, the make and the number of floors, and where they are based.

  • 2

    On-site examination

    A competent person rides each lift through its travel and tests its safety devices.

  • 3

    Your record

    You receive a Report of Thorough Examination for each lift, with anything to address flagged and the next date set.

Why businesses choose SEIS

  • Independent and impartial: we examine the lift, we do not install or maintain it
  • Competent persons who prove the seals, valves, car locks and fall-arrest brakes
  • Pneumatic vacuum lifts examined to LOLER, every six months
  • Reports issued promptly, with defects and the next due date set out clearly
What we examine

Vacuum lift: what a thorough examination covers

Turbine and valves

The turbine assembly and the control and inlet valves proved, because the turbines lift the capsule on a pressure difference and the valves bring it down under control.

Seals

The tube and capsule door seals examined, because the whole lift depends on an airtight tube and a leak means the vacuum cannot build.

Car locks

The mechanical car locks proved to anchor the capsule at each landing, because they hold it steady while people get in and out.

Fall-arrest brakes

The fall-arrest brakes proved to grip the columns on a loss of vacuum, because they are what catch the capsule the instant the air no longer holds it.

Controlled descent

The power-failure controlled descent checked, because a power cut must bring the capsule gently to the ground rather than leave anyone stranded.

Capsule and columns

The capsule structure and the guide columns examined, because the brakes act on the columns and the capsule rides them through its travel.

Intervals and certification

How often, and what you receive

A vacuum lift carries a person, so it is thoroughly examined at least every six months, the same interval as any passenger lift. Its simple mechanism is not a reason to examine it less; it concentrates the safety case on the seals, the valves, the car locks and the fall-arrest brakes, so those are proven every time. A competent person can set a tighter interval in a written scheme where use is heavy. Whatever the interval, the examination is independent of the maintenance, and the controlled descent on a power failure is checked, because a lift held up by air must come down gently, not suddenly, when the power stops.

6 monthsEquipment that lifts people, and all lifting accessories
12 monthsOther lifting equipment, unless an examination scheme sets otherwise
Schedule 1A Report of Thorough Examination, your legal record
IndependentWe examine it, we do not sell or maintain it

You receive a Report of Thorough Examination, the record LOLER requires, with anything that needs attention set out clearly.

Full statutory cover

Part of our full LOLER inspection service

Vacuum lift is one of the many kinds of equipment we cover. We inspect the full range, across every sector, as an independent provider, one item or a whole site, anywhere in the UK.

See our full LOLER inspection service
Other services

Other statutory inspections we carry out

Many sites run more than one regime. We can examine all of it, under one independent provider.

PUWER inspectionInspection of work equipment against the five PUWER duties, with a written record. PSSR examinationWritten Schemes and certified examination of pressure systems. LEV testingLEV thorough examination and test of your extraction systems.
LOLER FAQs

Vacuum lift examination: common questions

Does a vacuum lift need a LOLER thorough examination?
Yes. A vacuum lift carries a person, so it is a passenger lift for the purposes of LOLER and is examined in full. You can read the duty in the HSE guidance on LOLER.
How often must a vacuum lift be examined?
At least every six months, the same as any lift that carries people. Heavy use can bring the interval in, set by a competent person in a written scheme.
Is it a certificate or a report?
You receive a Report of Thorough Examination, the record LOLER requires. People call it the LOLER certificate, which is fair shorthand, but the legal document is the report. Our guide to LOLER sets out what it must contain.
It has so few moving parts, does it really need examining?
Yes, and arguably more carefully for it. The whole lift depends on a handful of components, the seals, valves, car locks and brakes, so each one being right matters more, not less.
What holds the capsule if the vacuum is lost?
Mechanical fall-arrest brakes grip the columns within seconds, and car locks anchor the capsule at each landing. We prove both, because they are what catch the capsule when the air no longer does.
What happens in a power cut?
The lift descends in a slow, controlled way to the ground so no one is stranded between floors. We check that controlled descent works, because a power cut is when it counts.
Why do the seals matter so much?
The capsule rises on a pressure difference, so the tube and the door seals have to be sound. A leak means the lift cannot build the vacuum it needs, so the seals are examined closely.
Do you examine vacuum lifts across the UK?
Yes. We work nationwide, attending homes, offices and other buildings wherever they are. Call 0330 043 8191 to arrange a visit that suits the building.

Is your vacuum lift due a thorough examination?

Talk to an engineer surveyor, get a quote and book your inspection anywhere in the UK.

0330 043 8191 Request a quote