Power Systems International, in collaboration with Cambridgeshire County Council, has embarked upon a pioneering initiative to provide purpose built emergency lift power systems (ELPS) for dedicated evacuation lifts at airports, schools, libraries, hospitals and other public buildings.
Traditionally, health and safety has dictated that lifts cannot be used in emergencies. However, as a result of the changing and more demanding environment for duty of care, there is the need to improve the facilities for the evacuation of disabled, injured or incapacitated persons from public premises. The ELPS has been designed with this in mind and are protected with features to enable designated evacuation lifts to operate safely and efficiently.
These ELPS features, including an authorised manual control by means of a key switch and the facility for change-over between dual power source feeders, enable emergency evacuation lifts to operate in line with the Disability Discrimination Act:
- A crucial ELPS feature is its application as a ‘point of use’ power source. This compact unit is intended for installation adjacent to the lift location, and does not emit the heat, noise, smoke, fuel spills or toxic fumes associated with diesel generators. Neither does it require the cost of fuel storage or long cable lengths.
- Not only this, but the ELPS can be used to power designated evacuation lifts simultaneously with emergency lighting and smoke extraction fan motors for refuge areas, making it a localised, multifaceted, cost-effective power package.
Standby power is perhaps an obvious requirement for emergency situations, but what if the cabling from the power source to the point of use is damaged? A centralised system leaves critical emergency lighting, lifts or other vital operations at very real risk. Why leave huge lengths of site-wide cable vulnerable to theft, fire damage or a system circuit failure when ‘point of use’ power system installation can provide the guarantee you need in an emergency? The ELPS provides power at the point where it is actually needed giving peace of mind should an emergency situation arise.
