Lift Certification Modules

Lift certification is more than a certificate application. The company’s design, manufacturing, installation, final inspection and testing processes are assessed together with the characteristics of the lift to be placed on the market. The Lifts Directive 2014/33/EU defines H1 and G for completed lifts, as well as the E, D and final inspection routes that follow a type-examination.

Short answer: H1 is considered for companies that install regularly and with varied designs, G for verifying a single lift, and B+E, B+D or the type-examination plus final inspection route known in the industry as B+F for companies working with an approved model lift.

What Is Lift Certification?

Before a new lift is placed on the market, its conformity with the essential health and safety requirements in Annex I of the directive must be demonstrated. Depending on the conformity assessment route chosen, the process consists of a technical file review, a quality system audit, examination of a model lift, on-site tests, surveillance or a combination of these.

When the conformity assessment has been completed successfully, the installer:

• draws up the EU declaration of conformity,
• affixes the CE marking and the identification number of the notified body involved,
• keeps the technical file and related records for the period required by the legislation,
• remains responsible for the safe installation and placing on the market of the lift.

The certificate is issued by a notified body authorised for the relevant scope. CMB Consultancy provides consultancy on choosing the route, preparing documents, checking readiness before the assessment and closing nonconformities.

Comparison of Lift Modules

Route	Legal basis	Main approach	Typically considered when
Module H1	Annex XI	Full quality assurance + design examination	The company installs continuously and manages design and quality as a system
Module G	Annex VIII	Unit verification of a single lift	A one-off project, special design or no company-wide quality module
Module B+E	Annex IV-B + Annex X	Type-examination + product quality assurance	Within an approved model, with final inspection and tests managed by a quality system
Module B+D	Annex IV-B + Annex XII	Type-examination + production quality assurance	Manufacture, installation, final inspection and tests are managed by an integrated quality system
Module B+F	Annex IV-B + Annex V	Type-examination + final inspection of every lift	The company stays with an approved type and has every completed lift inspected by a notified body

The table is not an automatic conformity decision. The company’s scope of activity, organisation, model variety, installation volume, technical competence and the standards to be applied must be assessed together.

Module H1

Module H1 is defined in the directive as “conformity based on full quality assurance plus design examination”. The quality system covers design, manufacture, assembly, installation, final inspection and testing. The notified body assesses the quality system, examines the design where required and carries out surveillance of the system.

H1 is not simply an ISO 9001 certificate. The technical requirements specific to the Lifts Directive, responsibilities, project checks, purchasing and installation records, tests and nonconformity management must all be evidenced within the quality system.

Module G

Module G is the unit verification route carried out separately for each lift. The application states where the lift is installed; the technical file is reviewed and the lift is inspected and tested on site. A certificate of conformity specific to that unit is issued for a lift found compliant.

The G route does not give the company a general system certificate that can be used for all its installations. Each subsequent lift requires a new application and verification.

Module B and the Routes Used with It

Module B is the EU type-examination of a model lift. The technical design of the model and a representative specimen are assessed; the approved scope is defined in a type-examination certificate. Module B on its own is not sufficient to place a completed lift on the market. It is followed by one of these routes:

• B+E: an approved product quality system focused on final inspection and testing,
• B+D: an approved production quality system covering manufacture, assembly, installation, final inspection and testing,
• B+F: Annex V final inspection, as it is called in the directive; each completed lift is checked by a notified body.

Before design or safety component changes outside the model’s scope are applied, their effect on the type certificate must be assessed.

Is Module A Used for Lifts?

Module A is the conformity assessment module known as “internal production control” in general product legislation. However, Module A is not among the routes that Directive 2014/33/EU allows for completed lifts. A “Module A certificate for lifts” should therefore not be offered as the CE conformity route for a completed lift.

Moreover, a Type A inspection body is not the same thing as Module A. Type A inspection bodies carry out periodic inspections of lifts in service; this activity is different from the initial conformity assessment of a new lift.

Are Lift and Safety Component Modules the Same?

No. The conformity routes for completed lifts and for safety components are different. For safety components listed in Annex III of the directive, the options are:

• EU type-examination + conformity to type with random checking (B+C2),
• EU type-examination + product quality assurance (B+E),
• full quality assurance (H).

The H here should not be confused with H1 for completed lifts. For details, see Lift Safety Component Certification.

How Does the Certification Process Work?

1. Scope and route selection

The company’s installation model, lift types, organisation, technical staff and outsourcing structure are examined. A one-off project is distinguished from a continuous production/installation structure.

2. Gap analysis

The procedures, records, technical files and site practices required by the chosen module are checked. An owner and a closing date are set for each gap.

3. Technical file and system documentation

Where applicable, projects and calculations, circuit diagrams, risk assessment, standards used, safety component certificates, installation and inspection records, test reports and instructions for use and maintenance are prepared.

4. Application and assessment

The application is made to a single notified body authorised for the chosen module. Depending on the module, a document review, quality system audit, model examination or on-site inspection of the lift is carried out.

5. Closing nonconformities

Nonconformities are closed with root cause, correction and evidence. The conformity decision is made only at the end of the notified body’s assessment.

6. Placing on the market and continuity

After a positive decision, the declaration of conformity and the CE marking are completed. In quality system modules, surveillance, reporting of changes and keeping records up to date continue.

What Does the Technical File Contain?

The content of the file depends on the chosen module and the lift. Common headings include:

• general description of the lift and the installation site,
• design and manufacturing drawings, layout and circuit diagrams,
• calculations, explanations and technical specifications,
• checklist of the essential health and safety requirements,
• harmonised standards applied and any alternative technical solutions,
• risk assessment,
• EU type-examination and conformity certificates of the safety components used,
• installation, final inspection and test records,
• instructions for use, maintenance and rescue,
• quality system procedures and competence records.

The list of documents should be confirmed with the relevant notified body’s current procedure before applying.

CE Certification versus Periodic Inspection

CE conformity assessment is the process for which the installer is responsible before the lift is placed on the market. Periodic inspection is a separate activity carried out by an authorised Type A inspection body to check the safe operation of a lift in service. Registration, maintenance, periodic inspection and conformity assessment do not replace one another.

Legislation and Standards

The main technical references are:

• Lifts Regulation (2014/33/EU) — Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology (in Turkish)
• Consolidated text of Directive 2014/33/EU — EUR-Lex
• Harmonised standards applicable to the type and use of the lift, in particular EN 81-20 and EN 81-50

Because lists of harmonised standards and legislation can change, the current editions and transition dates should be checked for every new project.

Which Module Is Right for Your Company?

There is no single right answer. The first assessment looks at these questions:

1. Will you install a single lift or install regularly?
2. Is the design created in-house, or is an approved model used?
3. How varied are your lifts and how many installations do you expect per year?
4. Does the quality system cover only final inspection and testing, or manufacture and installation as well?
5. Is there a special design or shaft condition that deviates from the standard?
6. What level have your technical files, staff and record-keeping reached?

Based on these answers, the H1, G, B+E, B+D and B+F routes can be compared in terms of cost, time and sustainability.