architecture tips

Many of today's retail and leisure facilities do not always have the available space for sales and stock storage all on the same floor. In these instances, the stock room is generally on a lower floor or in the case of some shopping centres, a considerable distance away from the store. In these instances, staff require assistance in moving the stock onto the shop floor in an easy and efficient way. One of the best ways to do so is with the use of goods lifts.

If your retail space doesn't currently have a goods lift in place, then you might think that it's a considerable expense to have one fitted. However, there is now a range of different lifts that can fit into all types of spaces and can be extremely cost efficient. If you consider the price of the lift over the whole of its lifetime, compared with the amount of time your staff will save, then you are actually getting value for money.

Why Do I Need a Lift?
There are all kinds of reasons why installing a goods lift would make practical sense for your business. Health and safety regulations limit the amount of weight any one member of staff can carry by themselves, so having a lift means that they can transport goods safely and easily. Reducing the amount of lifting also makes for a more efficient workforce, as they are less likely to need time off sick. If your stock room is on a different floor or in another part of the building, then being able to use a lift makes it quicker to transport stock.

What Type of Lift Do I Need?
As with passenger lifts, goods lifts vary in size and the maximum load they can carry. The requirements of your store will affect the type of lift you have installed. There's no point going for an expensive lift that can carry 2 tonnes at a time if your stock is relatively light. You should also look into where and how the lift will be fitted. Some of the lifts designed for heavier loads may require structural changes to the building. If this is the case, you may need to get approval from your landlord and consider the cost implications if you were to then move premises. There are also simpler lifts available that are designed for lighter loads, so you should consider your needs first before committing to anything.

Goods lifts are a flexible and reliable method of transporting stock. Whether you own a retail outlet, hotel, restaurant or factory, installing a lift will bring considerable benefits to your business. They can be a cost-effective investment and will certainly be appreciated by your employees.

For more information on goods lifts Phillip recommends the Platform lift company. They are experts in lifts for residential and commercial purposes.

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The topic of disabled access is finally beginning to get the recognition it deserves, as service providers across the country seek to ensure their premises are accessible to everybody. As well as helping to create an inclusive society, improved access can also make good economic sense as more people are free to enter a building, with nobody being excluded and all customers welcome.

Under the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) service providers are encouraged to make reasonable adjustments to overcome barriers when it comes to access, resulting in those with physical disabilities, in particular, having more opportunity to get around their environment easily.

In some cases, such as in the example of a listed or historic building, it may not be possible to make adaptations, but in the majority of cases specialist disabled lifts can have a huge impact. This means that a disabled person should not come across discrimination when using everyday services such as banks, shops, restaurants and hairdressers.

There are many different types of disabled lifts available for those considering installing one. The main issues are whether to have wide doors, low buttons and flat or ramped floors. Ultimately, a disabled lift needs to tackle any obstacles which would prevent a service user from entering or moving around the space with ease. Each level that the lift reaches should be equally accessible.

With plenty of options available, from basic platform models to more complex wheelchair lifts, there are ways to ensure a building has a sturdy and practical solution, helping it meet the recommendations set out in the DDA. To narrow down the number of choices, it's important to consider the budget available, the amount of use the lift is likely to get and the long-term benefits to everyone involved.

As well as interior lifts, it's also possible to install disabled lifts on the outside of a building, although this is not very common due to increased security and health and safety risks.

Sometimes a specialist lift is not even necessary as a modern and well-designed passenger lift may instead be appropriate if it has been installed with a view to meeting the needs of everybody, regardless of whether they are able-bodied or disabled.

Because of the threat of fines, many companies are reluctant to ignore the guidelines put in place by the DDA, which means that access is less of a problem than in the past and fully functioning inclusive lifts are a more common sight than ever before.

Philip Loughran writes on a number of subjects from travel to law, automotive to education. For disabled lifts and accessibility improvement, he recommends The Platform Lift Company.

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Passenger lifts are the easiest way for people to move between separate storeys of a building if they either cannot or choose not to use stairs. They are essential in multi-storey buildings and high-rise developments. Such buildings should have at least one lift that is accessible for wheelchair users.

The location of passenger lift shafts and their size and clearance are an integral part of building design from the outset. It's quite common for the lift shaft itself to be a major vertical structural element in the building. The lifts should be located next to stairs to provide ease of access and evacuation during an emergency. A common design involves stairs that rise around the lift shaft.

During emergencies such as a fire or earthquake, a building's occupants are usually advised not to use lifts. This is because a power cut could trap them inside the lift shaft. Sometimes the structural components of a lift shaft are not strong enough to withstand severe earthquake or wind forces. Some new multi-storey buildings, hospitals and high-rise office and apartment blocks do incorporate an evacuation lift that is used during these emergencies. Such lifts should have an independent back-up power supply. In the absence of evacuation lifts, the designers of high-occupancy buildings should plan an emergency evacuation route that allows people of all physical abilities to move between storeys in safety.

Glass-walled lifts have become a fashionable element of modern commercial building design. They are common in a tall building's atrium or along its exterior walls. The selection of such lifts has to balance the expectations of their users. They can cause anxiety in people who suffer from vertigo. But other users with hearing difficulties can recognise the floor level they are riding to in a building, rather than depending on lift announcements. It is worth considering if such lift could be replaced by escalators. The managers of shopping malls and large department stores have discovered that the general public prefers escalators to glass-wall lifts. The escalators also provide a greater transportation capacity than passenger lifts.

Platform lifts are no longer installed in new buildings. But structural constraints in existing buildings may mean that a passenger lift is not feasible. A platform lift with a one- or two-metre rise can provide secure access for wheelchair users at the front entrance of a building. It may also ease access between different levels in the same storey of a building where two slightly mismatching floors are connected together.

All passenger lifts should incorporate safety devices such as self-levelling on a floor so that there is no more than a 10 mm height difference between the landing and the lift floor. Lift doors should open to a minimum width of 950 mm and remain open for at least eight seconds. Hold-open and rapid-close buttons, as well as an emergency telephone, should be provided in the lift. Manually operated lift doors should not be used in modern lifts.

For more information on hydraulic passenger lifts Phillip recommends the Platform lift company. They are experts in lifts for residential and commercial purposes.

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If your health worsens due to disability or an accident, managing the stairs can become a daily ordeal. Many people choose to relocate to a one-level property, believing this to be their best option when in fact there is often a much simpler answer - installing a lift. With a relatively low cost and not much disruption involved in the installation, a residential lift enables many disabled and elderly people to stay in their own home and remain independent.

Which type of lift you choose depends entirely on the size of your property, your current and anticipated long-term mobility, your budget and whether you'll need help from personal-care assistants. Whatever your situation, there is a solution which will meet your needs. The following is a brief guide to disabled lifts currently available to private householders.

Goods Lifts

Sometimes known as 'dumbwaiters', goods lifts (or 'Microlifts') are not only a convenient addition to large properties where the distance between floors is greatest, but are also utilised to safely carry small loads between floors by disabled people who have limited strength and movement in their upper body.

Stair Lifts

Suitable for those who can safely stand or laterally transfer onto another seat, these lifts are the most common ones found in private homes today. Ideal for smaller homes with limited access at the top and foot of the stairs, these lifts are available for straight and curved stairways of one or more flights. Fixed to the stairs rather than to the wall, they can be installed with minimal fuss on most types of staircase.

Step Lifts

For those who use a wheelchair and cannot safely transfer without a hoist onto another seat, a platform lift could be the best alternative. Several different models are available, depending on the overall height of the stairs from top to bottom, the weight of the users and the entrance/exit direction required. With a step lift, users are carried up to the next level while remaining in their wheelchair and are protected front and back by guard rails and/or doors. Strong walls and a suitable amount of space are essential for step lift installations.

Vertical Platform Lifts

For buildings with room to spare, you could consider a vertical platform lift. Similar to most lifts found in large public buildings, platform lifts carry passengers up and down a channel inside an enclosed structure and are available in three different types - internal, external and residential, the latter being slightly smaller and aesthetically more pleasing for private homeowners. Vertical platform lifts are an ideal option for carrying more weight, including heavier wheelchairs and additional passengers.

Hydraulic Platform Lifts

A quieter, smoother form of vertical platform lift, their hydraulic mechanism makes these disabled lifts almost silent while in use, protecting sensitive passengers from unnecessary noise and jarring. Modern and highly adaptable, hydraulic platform lifts can be tailored to suit your own unique specifications.

For expert advice on which disabled lift may be the right one for you, Philip recommends the Platform Lift Company. They have extensive experience in fitting and maintaining disabled lifts.

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