New research commissioned by PEW Electrical indicates that lift and escalator fire safety is emerging as a potential weak spot in building safety management, highlighting significant uncertainty among facilities management professionals when it comes to navigating building safety compliance in practice. It found that almost half (44 per cent) of say that they remain unclear about their obligations under the Building Safety Act, and 56 per cent are unclear about documentation and accountability requirements. A further 46 pr cent of FMs also admit that they are unaware of the BSR’s inspection requirements for lifts and escalators.
These concerns extend to information management. Some 47 per cent of FMs say that the industry suffers from fragmented and inconsistent record-keeping, raising questions about how reliably the ‘golden thread’ of safety information is being maintained across lift supply chains.
When asked about the main challenges to ensuring fire safety compliance, the most frequently cited issues point primarily to delivery barriers, rather than a lack of intent. These include keeping up with evolving fire safety standards, coordinating multiple contractors and stakeholders, and budget pressures affecting the frequency and quality of inspections.
Technical complexity also plays a role, with almost one in five FMs highlighting the difficulty of retrofitting existing systems to meet modern fire safety requirements.
Jason Clark, registered engineer and PEW Electrical chairman, said: “It’s clear that building managers are taking fire safety seriously: inspections are happening regularly, and there’s a strong focus on operational performance. But compliance today is about much more than maintenance alone. It’s about documentation, accountability, and making sure technical decisions are properly coordinated across the supply chain.
“Lifts sit at the centre of fire strategy, accessibility and emergency response. If those systems are managed in isolation, or if information is fragmented between contractors, it becomes very difficult for duty holders to be confident that risks are being fully controlled.
“Adding to the challenge, estate managers are under pressure to retrofit and demonstrate compliance in buildings that were never designed for modern evacuation strategies. And in healthcare facilities, where the building must remain both operational and accessible, these challenges are even more pronounced.
“We know that the FM sector is committed to safety. But what’s needed now is greater alignment between operational activity and regulatory assurance – and this can’t be achieved if we continue to operate in silos.
“We need better collaboration between lift specialists, engineers, estate managers, and suppliers if we are serious about ensuring compliance, and genuinely strengthening safety outcomes.”