36 CFR Parts 1190 and 1191 ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines - Preamble (Discussion of Comments and Changes)

410 Platform Lifts

Section 410 provides requirements for platform lifts and addresses floor surfaces, clear floor space, operable parts, and doors and gates. This section has been updated to reference the new ASME A18.1 Safety Standard for Platform Lifts and Stairway Chairlifts (410.1). This standard was under development when the proposed rule was published. This section has been reformatted and changes made to the specifications for doors and gates.

Comment. Platform lifts are required to have power-operated doors or gates. Those with doors or gates on opposing sides generally facilitate lift use by permitting a forward approach to both entry and exit doors or gates. As a result, these types of lifts are permitted to have a manual door or gates. The guidelines specify that manual doors or gates be "self-closing" (410.5, Exception). Comments noted that since the ASME/ANSI A18.1 standard requires such doors and gates to be self-closing, the specification in the rule was redundant.

Response. The Board has retained the requirement that manual doors or gates be self-closing (401.5, Exception) for consistency with the new ANSI A117.1 standard. In addition, the Board has added clarification, consistent with the ANSI standard, that the exception in section 410.5 does not apply to platform lifts serving more than two landings.

Comment. Commenters stressed that platform lifts should not be key operated.

Response. Previous editions of the safety code for lifts, not the Board’s guidelines, required platform lifts to be key operated. The most recent edition of the ASME standard, which the final rule references, does not contain a requirement for key operation.