EN ISO 8100-1:2026: what the new lift standard changes and what to check now
The new lift standard is published and EN 81-20 stays in use until 2029. What changes for controllers, machines, brakes, doors and safety circuits, and what to check on your next modernisation.
This is not a renumbering of EN 81-20. Several parts of the lift change in substance, and most of them are components we supply. This post sets out what the standard covers, the timeline, what
A new lift standard was published in 2026. ISO 8100-1 and ISO 8100-2 are the second edition and replace the 2019 versions. The European and UK versions (EN ISO 8100-1 and -2, and BS EN ISO 8100-1) are set to replace EN 81-20 and EN 81-50 as the reference for new lifts.
This is not a renumbering of EN 81-20. Several parts of the lift change in substance, and most of them are components we supply. This post sets out what the standard covers, the timeline, what changes technically, and what to check on your next job. What the two parts cover
Part 1 sets the safety rules for the construction and installation of new passenger and goods passenger lifts, both traction and hydraulic. Part 2 covers design rules, calculations, verification and testing of lift components.
The standard applies to lifts installed after its publication. It does not apply to lifts installed before that date, so no existing lift has to be replaced or upgraded because the standard exists. It covers indoor or weather-protected lifts only, and wind loads have been removed.
Timeline
There is a 36 month transition. EN 81-20 and EN 81-50 are due to be withdrawn in June 2029, and until then designers and installers can use either standard.
In the EU, a standard gives presumption of conformity under the Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU once it is cited in the Official Journal. Citation of EN ISO 8100-1 and -2 is expected during 2026. At the time of writing it has not happened, so EN 81-20 and EN 81-50 remain the reference that gives presumption of conformity. Once citation happens, both give it until withdrawal.
Separately, from January 2027 installers need to show conformity with the new and changed essential requirements of the EU Machinery Regulation, and the new standard already covers them. Cybersecurity is one of the additions.
In the UK, BS EN ISO 8100-1:2026 is the national implementation. Check the current designation under the UK Lift Regulations before you quote it to a customer.
What changes technically
Suspension means. Steel wire ropes from 4 mm up to 8 mm are now included. Elastomeric coated steel ropes and coated belts (steel wire or carbon fibre) are covered by the standard, each with its own safety factor and D/d ratio. Discard criteria are defined, and non-steel suspension means cannot be used as the element acted on by ascending car overspeed protection or unintended car movement protection.
Machines and brakes. The minimum braking torque rises. With one brake set not working, the machine brake must still decelerate, stop and hold the car empty going up, and loaded going down with the higher of rated load or the overload detection setting (110 % at the latest). Where the brake is the stopping means for ascending car overspeed protection or unintended car movement protection, manual release must be independent for each brake set. Release of each brake set is monitored, and a brake that decelerates the car in normal operation or reduced stroke buffer use is monitored by wear detection or a daily automatic static holding test. After a failure the lift stays out of service until reset on site. Hydraulically released brakes are now covered, and Safe Torque Off needs SIL 3.
Safety circuits. PESSRAL is gone. The term is replaced by SIL-rated circuits, which now covers any safety circuit using programmable electronics. Development requirements are higher, on-site changes to software and parameters are more tightly controlled, and the electric safety chain has a maximum combined reaction time of 1 second.
Safety gear and governors. Tripping the safety gear by electrical means is now covered, using a SIL 3 speed monitoring element with free fall detection, and a SIL 3 tripping element. Governor tripping point distances change: 100 mm for instantaneous safety gear, 250 mm for progressive.
Buffers. The 2.5 m/s speed limit for reduced stroke buffers is removed. Polyurethane buffers rated 1.0 m/s can serve as reduced stroke buffers up to 1.75 m/s.
Doors. Finger and hand safety is tightened. Maximum worn clearance drops from 10 mm to 8 mm, the opening force limiter is 150 N for all panel types (previously glass only), and door movement is prevented for at least 20 seconds once the limiter acts. Sharp hidden edges inside panels and uprights must be removed. The gap between a closed car door and a hinged landing door drops from 0.15 m to 0.12 m. Vertically sliding doors are now covered in detail, for goods passenger lifts only.
Pit and well. Pit access gets its own section, with pit platforms, ladders (a new annex) and an inspection switch at the pit access door instead of a stop switch. The maximum gap between well and sill drops from 0.15 m to 0.12 m.
Controls and operation. Inspection and emergency electrical operation use hold-to-run devices, and the emergency electrical operation switch is bi-stable. Automatic rescue operation is added as an option, stopping within 20 mm of the landing. An acoustic signal sounds for at least 2 seconds before the lift restarts in automatic operation after a stop by an electric safety device. The overload limit is 10 % of rated load, and the old 75 kg figure is deleted.
Electrical. Cables have a minimum fire classification. All emergency power supplies are monitored. Interface components to external equipment must meet the cybersecurity requirements in ISO 8102-20.
Documentation. The instructions carry more: SIL-rated circuits, software and parameters, automatic rescue, discard criteria and emergency operations. The logbook now records interventions only.
What it means for modernisation
The standard is written for new lifts, but a modernisation raises the question of what the customer, the approved body and the national regime will expect. EU law does not regulate maintenance or modernisation, which stays with each country, but the Lifts Directive applies to a lift that is substantially modified. What applies on a given job depends on when the lift was installed, what work is being done and the rules where it stands.
The practical effect is on specification. Controllers, brakes, governors, doors and safety circuits are the parts the new text changes most, and a component certified to the old standard may not meet the new text.
What to check now
1. Record which standard each lift was commissioned or last substantially modified under.
2. Ask suppliers which standard each safety component is certified to, especially safety circuits, brakes, governors, door locks and ropes.
3. Review controller and brake specifications for SIL-rated circuits, brake monitoring and independent brake set release.
4. Check door gear against the new clearance, opening force and edge requirements.
5. Allow lead time. SIL-rated electronics and brake changes are design decisions, not paperwork.
6. Watch for the Official Journal citation, which changes what a manufacturer can claim.
Where DSW fits
DSW supplies controllers, machines, doors, safety equipment and ropes for lift modernisation to the UK, Ireland, the EU and export markets. If you are specifying components for a job and need to know which standard each is certified to, send us the job details and we will tell you what we can confirm before you commit.
Contact us at www.dsw-solutions.com.
Frequently asked questions
Has EN ISO 8100 replaced EN 81-20?
Not yet. There is a 36 month transition, and EN 81-20 and EN 81-50 are due to be withdrawn in June 2029. Until then both can be used.
Does my existing lift need to be upgraded?
No. The standard does not apply to lifts installed before its publication, and its arrival does not require existing lifts to be replaced or upgraded.
Does a modernisation have to meet the new standard?
It depends on the work, the age of the lift and national rules. EU law does not regulate modernisation, but the Lifts Directive applies to substantially modified lifts. Confirm with your approved or notified body before you specify.
What happens to PESSRAL?
The term is removed. SIL-rated circuits replace it and cover any safety circuit that uses programmable electronics, with higher development requirements and tighter control of software and parameter changes.
Do the brake requirements change?
Yes. Minimum braking torque is higher with one brake set failed, release of each brake set is monitored, a brake used to decelerate the car is monitored by wear detection or a daily static holding test, and manual release is independent per brake set where the brake is used for ascending car overspeed or unintended car movement protection.
Can I use belts or coated ropes?
Yes. Elastomeric coated steel ropes and coated belts with steel or carbon fibre tension members are now covered, along with steel wire ropes from 4 mm up to 8 mm. Each type has its own safety factor, D/d ratio and discard criteria.
Do doors change?
Yes. The maximum worn clearance is 8 mm, the opening force limiter is 150 N on all panel types, sharp hidden edges must be removed, and vertically sliding doors are covered for goods passenger lifts.
What does the Machinery Regulation add?
From January 2027 installers need to show conformity with the new and changed essential requirements of the EU Machinery Regulation. The new standard already covers them, including cybersecurity for interfaces to external equipment.
Is automatic rescue operation mandatory?
No. It is added as an option. Where fitted, it moves the car to a landing after a power failure and stops within 20 mm.
Who can tell me what applies to my project?
Your approved or notified body, and the national authority where the lift stands. DSW can confirm what a component is certified to when you send the job details.
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