EN 81-28 is the European standard governing emergency communication devices in elevators. For maintenance companies, compliance isn't optional. It's a legal requirement that inspectors actively verify, and one that has direct bearing on your liability when a trapped passenger incident occurs.
What is EN 81-28?
EN 81-28 (formally "Safety rules for the construction and installation of lifts, Lifts for the transport of persons and goods, Part 28: Remote alarm on passenger and goods passenger lifts") defines requirements for two-way communication systems in elevator cars.
The standard ensures that a person trapped in an elevator can:
- Establish voice communication with a rescue service
- Be identified by location (which building, which shaft)
- Receive confirmation that help is on the way
EN 81-28 requirements for maintenance companies
Two-way voice communication
Every elevator car must have a device that establishes two-way voice communication with a permanently staffed rescue service. The connection must be automatic, no dialing required.
Inspectors check four things:
- Device activates with a single action (button press)
- Connection establishes within 30 seconds
- Audio quality is sufficient for clear two-way communication
- Device is powered by an emergency power supply (minimum 1 hour)
Automatic location identification
When the emergency device activates, the rescue service must be able to identify the specific building, the specific elevator shaft, and the car position (if available).
This is where most maintenance companies run into problems. Traditional phone systems show a phone number, but the dispatcher must manually look up which building and shaft that number belongs to. That search takes 3-8 minutes on average. On a 90-minute SLA, that time matters.
Periodic testing
The emergency communication system must be tested:
- Monthly by the maintenance company
- Annually by an independent inspector
- After any modification to the communication system
Monthly test logs must be maintained per shaft. A company maintaining 200 elevators has 200 test records to produce per month, and inspectors will ask for them.
How phone-to-shaft mapping supports EN 81-28
RemoteOps maps each elevator's emergency phone number to its specific asset record. When a call comes in from an elevator intercom, the system displays the building name and address, shaft number and car designation, active service contract and SLA requirements, nearest available technician, and full maintenance history, in under 4 seconds.
That's the identification step completed before the dispatcher says a word. It directly supports EN 81-28's requirement that a rescue operation can be initiated promptly. For the operational side of reducing rescue response time, see How to Reduce Trapped Passenger Rescue Time.
EN 81-28 compliance checklist
Use this during every service visit involving the emergency communication system:
- Emergency device activates with single button press
- Voice connection establishes within 30 seconds
- Audio is clear in both directions
- Emergency power supply tested (1 hour minimum)
- Phone number registered and mapped to correct shaft record
- Monthly test log up to date, including any failed tests and remedial action
- Annual inspection certificate current
- Communication device firmware version confirmed against service records
- Backup communication path verified (if applicable)
Common compliance failures
Monthly test not completed for every shaft. On a multi-lift site, engineers sometimes test one car and assume the rest are fine. EN 81-28 requires testing of each individual communication device.
Test log doesn't capture failed tests. A log that shows only successful tests without any failed results is suspicious to an inspector. If a test failed and was rectified, the log should show both.
Phone number not registered in the monitoring database. If a shaft number is called during a rescue and the monitoring centre cannot identify it, the monitoring centre is not fulfilling its EN 81-28 obligation regardless of what the test log shows.
Audio quality not verified in both directions. Engineers confirm outgoing audio (passenger can be heard) but don't verify that the monitoring centre's voice is audible from within the car.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a monthly EN 81-28 test is missed?
A missed monthly test is a compliance gap, not a minor admin issue. If a trapped passenger incident occurs and the monthly test log shows a gap in the period immediately before the incident, the question of whether the system was in a verified working state becomes part of any investigation. The gap is visible to inspectors and loss adjusters. It cannot be filled retrospectively.
Does EN 81-28 apply to older elevators?
EN 81-28:2018 applies to new installations. Existing installations built before the standard was adopted are subject to national regulations and, in many EU countries, a risk assessment requirement under the Lift Maintenance Directive. If you're maintaining a building with a lift installed after approximately 2003, the emergency communication device was likely specified to EN 81-28 or its predecessor.
What qualifies as a "permanently staffed rescue service" under EN 81-28?
The standard requires the monitoring centre to be permanently staffed or to transfer calls to a permanently staffed location outside of business hours. An answering machine, a voicemail, or an unmonitored email address does not satisfy this requirement. The rescue initiation must be possible at any time of day.
How long must EN 81-28 test records be retained?
The standard does not specify a retention period. Most inspection bodies recommend retaining records for the duration of the maintenance contract plus a minimum of 5 years. In the event of an incident that leads to legal action, records from the 24 months preceding the incident are typically requested. Retaining all test records indefinitely is the safest policy.
Can a GSM-based emergency device satisfy EN 81-28?
Yes, provided the device meets the functional requirements: automatic connection on single-button activation, two-way voice communication within 30 seconds, and identification of the lift location. GSM-based devices present a SIM card's MSISDN as the calling number. That number must be registered in the monitoring centre's asset database against the specific shaft before it is relied on for emergency calls.
Related: How to Reduce Trapped Passenger Rescue Time, Elevator Maintenance Software Buyer's Guide, FSM Software for Critical Infrastructure