Standard EN 1493, which regulates vehicle lifts.

Manufacturers bear a huge responsibility for the safety of the machinery they produce. Directives, laws and regulations concerning safety and user-friendliness set out minimum requirements for placing products on the market.

Minimum requirements cannot guarantee absolute machine safety. This is achieved through proper machine design, clear operating instructions, professional operators and regular equipment inspections.

Standard EN 1493, which regulates vehicle lifts, applies only to lifts designed to lift the entire vehicle, regardless of the lifting height.

Car lifts are part of the equipment in car repair and paint shops, and the potential risks are high; therefore, the safety of the lift is of paramount importance.

As practice has shown, when assessing compliance (testing) with the EN 1493 standard for car lifts, significant deficiencies are found that are so serious that projects are terminated.

Deficiencies were found in the lifts’ hydraulic systems, the operation of safety devices, the safety valve, the locking of the lifting arms, the lowering speed limit, safety distances and electrical safety; the structure proved to be too weak in relation to the maximum load stated by the manufacturer, which meant insufficient mechanical strength and stability of the lift.

During testing of the hoists, non-compliance was found regarding the locking mechanisms of the lifting arms, emergency stops, prevention of unintentional lowering, EU declarations of conformity and mandatory marking on the hoist. Deficiencies were also found in the content of the operating instructions. Requirements for the foundation, anchoring, lift assembly and installation inspection must be described in detail in the operating instructions.

Manufacturers are advised to pay particular attention to the fact that a significant proportion of the shortcomings identified in the tested lifts were structural defects resulting from design features, rather than manufacturing defects that might be specific to a particular batch of products. This creates problems for users and highlights the need to be aware of the type of equipment in question and its most important safety-related characteristics.

The required safety level for car lifts is defined in the harmonised standard EN 1493.

Before making a purchase decision, consumers should check for the presence of an EU Declaration of Conformity and an EU Type-Examination Certificate to ensure that the lift has been manufactured in accordance with standard SFS-EN 1493 and has undergone type testing by a notified body.