New Lift Regulations in Catalonia: Upgrades, Inspections, Deadlines and RITSIC

To establish what the lift regulations in Catalonia require, start with the individual installation rather than the age of the building. Identify the lift, examine its latest inspection certificate and determine whether the proposed work is maintenance, a repair or a major modification. The applicable measure, deadline and administrative procedure can differ in each case.

Royal Decree 355/2024 approved ITC AEM 1, which governs the commissioning, modification, maintenance and inspection of lifts, as well as safety improvements to existing installations. It took effect on 1 July 2024 but has subsequently been amended. Decisions should therefore be checked against the consolidated BOE text and the current Generalitat de Catalunya procedures on Canal Empresa.

What ITC AEM 1 changed for existing lifts

ITC AEM 1 applies to new lifts and establishes certain obligations for existing installations. Annex VII covers safety measures including stopping and levelling accuracy, protection against automatic door closure, two-way communication with a rescue centre, overload control and measures addressing uncontrolled car movement or particular types of guide. This does not mean that every existing lift must immediately receive every upgrade. [1] [7]

The obligation depends on the lift’s design, components and the event that triggers the relevant measure. In some cases, the key event is the first periodic inspection after the rules took effect; in others, the installation date, type of guide or a later modification is relevant. For example, where an inspection identifies the absence of two-way communication, it must be installed within one year of that inspection. [1]

Building age alone cannot establish either the required work or its cost. Two lifts of a similar age may contain different components and consequently need different measures. The assessment should be based on the technical file, inspection certificate and accurate identification of the installation, followed by verification against the current consolidated rules.

• Identify the precise safety measure or certified defect.
• Check which event starts the relevant deadline.
• Separate mandatory corrections from optional improvements.
• Confirm whether the proposed solution could be a major modification.

How to check your lift’s status and documents

Begin by finding the lift’s RAE number, its official installation identifier, and checking its registration details through Canal Empresa, the Generalitat’s business and industrial procedures portal. If the lift does not appear in the online search, the Generalitat allows its status to be investigated using available information such as the owner, address, identifier and commissioning year. Absence from an initial search does not, by itself, prove that the lift was never legally registered. [3]

Next, obtain the technical file or data sheet, operating manual, most recent inspection certificate and maintenance record. For an inspection, the RAE number and the record of breakdowns and accidents from the previous year must be available among the required documents. The owner must also retain the commissioning record, conformity declaration where applicable, maintenance contract and periodic inspection certificates throughout the lift’s working life. [1]

Use these documents to follow a practical sequence: confirm the registration data and current owner; check the result and date of the last inspection; note the next deadline; and match each quoted item to a certified defect or statutory measure. Ask the maintenance company for a technical breakdown identifying the affected component, purpose of the work, applicable deadline, required tests and possible procedure. This distinguishes regulatory work from preventive or commercial recommendations.

• Record the RAE number, address and current owner.
• Check the latest certificate and next inspection date.
• Collect the technical file, manual and maintenance record.
• Ask for each quotation item to be linked to a specific defect.
• Keep new certificates and updated technical documents together.

Inspection frequency, defects and coloured labels

Periodic inspections are required at least every two years for lifts in industrial buildings or places of public assembly; every four years in buildings containing more than 20 dwellings or serving more than four floors; and every six years in other cases. Mixed-use buildings are assessed according to their principal use. An individual office or consulting room within a predominantly residential building does not automatically make the whole building a place of public assembly. [1]

The lift maintenance company must warn the owner of the inspection deadline. If the deadline passes without the inspection taking place, the company must take the lift out of service on the following working day. Owners should therefore arrange the inspection early enough to locate the file, resolve missing information and engage an authorised inspection body, known in Catalonia as an organisme de control. [1]

In Catalonia, a green label means no safety defects were identified. A yellow or orange label permits continued operation, subject to correcting the defects within the applicable period. A red label means that the lift must not operate. As a general rule, minor defects must be corrected within no more than six months; the maintenance company then certifies the correction to the inspection body that performed the inspection. [1] [3]

• Green: no safety defects identified.
• Yellow or orange: operation permitted, with corrections pending.
• Red: the lift must remain out of service.
• Unfavourable certificate: follow its conditions and required action immediately.

When an upgrade becomes a major modification under RITSIC

A repair or component replacement is not automatically a major modification. Classification depends on the technical scope and the current definition in ITC AEM 1. Before approving work, request written confirmation of its classification, the necessary tests and whether an inspection body must participate. If the project also involves structural or other building works, the applicable Barcelona municipal authorisation must be assessed separately; not every lift project follows the same planning procedure. [1]

In Catalonia, the lift installations procedure covers commissioning, major modifications, changes of owner, changes of maintenance company, return to service after temporary withdrawal, and temporary or permanent withdrawal. Major modifications are handled through the Generalitat’s responsible declaration procedure and recorded within the industrial safety framework commonly referred to as RITSIC. Forms, submission methods, supporting documents and any applicable charges can change, so check the current Canal Empresa page before filing. [4] [5]

After a major modification and before the lift returns to service, the applicable documentation must be prepared or made available. Depending on the work, this can include the modification data sheet, the company’s compliance declaration, test records, an updated manual and conformity declarations for affected safety components. Add the final documents to the permanent lift file rather than retaining only the contractor’s invoice. [1]

• Obtain the technical classification before work starts.
• Confirm whether testing or an inspection body is required.
• File the responsible declaration where applicable.
• Retain the data sheet, test records and updated manual.

How to assess a lift upgrade quotation and likely cost

There is no universal price that can be derived from ITC AEM 1 or from the lift’s age. Cost depends on the specific deficiency, installation design, component compatibility, access to the shaft and machinery, required testing and any associated building work. It may also change if the solution constitutes a major modification or requires an inspection body. A meaningful quotation therefore requires a defined technical scope.

Compare the quotation with the inspection certificate and ask the contractor to state the purpose of each item. The proposal should clarify the components included, exclusions, tests, documentation, return to service and responsibility for administrative submissions. Where quotations propose different technical solutions, compare whether each one remedies the same certified deficiency rather than looking only at the total price.

The practical order is to identify the lift, obtain its file, verify the valid inspection and classify each defect. Next, confirm the deadline and whether the work is maintenance, repair or a major modification. Once the work is complete, provide evidence of correction to the relevant inspection body and file the Generalitat procedure if required. Finally, retain the certificate, revised technical sheet and updated manual for future inspections and ownership changes.

• Do not estimate cost solely from the installation year.
• Request an itemised technical scope and clear exclusions.
• Confirm who pays for tests, controls and administrative procedures.
• Require delivery of final certificates and updated documents.

Frequently asked questions

Did every upgrade deadline start on 1 July 2024?

No. ITC AEM 1 took effect on that date, but each Annex VII measure can have a different trigger and deadline. Some periods start when an inspection identifies the missing measure; others depend on the component, installation date or a modification. Check the consolidated BOE text and the lift’s certificate.

Can a lift continue operating with a yellow or orange label?

Yes, provided the certificate permits continued use and the defects are corrected within the applicable period. Minor defects generally have a maximum correction period of six months. A red label means the lift cannot operate.

Must every lift refurbishment be registered as a major modification?

No. The work must be classified according to its technical scope and the current ITC AEM 1. If it is a major modification, the relevant Generalitat procedure must be followed and the required technical documents, declarations, tests and updated manual must be prepared.