Glossary term
inclined platform lift
A folding platform that travels on a rail along a staircase, carrying a wheelchair user up the same flight the stairs cover.
What it means
An inclined platform lift is a stairlift for a wheelchair. The platform folds flat against the wall when it is not in use so the stairs stay usable, then unfolds at the touch of a control to accept a wheelchair. Ramps at each end drop to bridge the gap, and barriers rise so the chair cannot roll off during travel.
Where you see it
Schools, churches, community halls and public buildings with a listed or awkward staircase use them, as do a small number of homes. They are chosen where a vertical lift cannot be fitted and the staircase must stay in use.
How it works
The rail carries a drive that pulls the platform along the flight, usually with hold-to-run controls on the platform and at each landing. Folding, ramps and barriers are all interlocked with travel, so the platform cannot move until the ramps are down and the barriers are up, and it cannot fold until it is parked.
Because the platform overhangs the staircase, sensors run along the underside and the leading edges. Anything they touch during travel stops the drive immediately. A staircase used by other people while the platform is running is the most common source of nuisance stops.
Why it matters
These units get heavy use in public buildings and light use in homes, and both patterns cause problems: heavy use wears the rail and drive, light use lets batteries sit flat. A short run once a week keeps a lightly used unit in better condition than leaving it parked for months.
Commonly confused with
An inclined platform lift is confused with a stairlift because both run on a rail along the stairs. The difference is that the platform carries a wheelchair and its user, so it is wider, slower, folds away, and has ramps, barriers and edge sensors that a stairlift chair does not.
Wear, service and lifespan
Folding parts, ramps and edge sensors take the wear. Service work tests every ramp, barrier and edge sensor individually, checks the drive and the rail fixings, and confirms the platform folds flat so the staircase stays a usable escape route. Batteries and charge contacts are checked as on a stairlift.
Signs to watch for
- The platform will not unfold or will not fold away.
- A barrier or ramp does not fully deploy, so travel is blocked.
- The platform stops repeatedly at the same point on the flight.
- Controls work on the platform but not at a landing.
- The unit only runs for a short time before stopping.
Troubleshooting inclined platform lift
The platform will not start with the user on board
What it usually means: A ramp or barrier is not fully in its travel position
Safe check: Look at each ramp and barrier and check none is caught on carpet or a stair nosing.
It stops mid-flight and reverses slightly
What it usually means: An edge sensor has detected an obstruction
Safe check: Check the staircase and the underside path for anything protruding, and report the location.
It will not fold away after use
What it usually means: A fold mechanism or its sensor has failed
Safe check: Leave it as it is, keep the stairs usable if possible, and report it as a means-of-escape issue.
How to report it
Say where on the flight it stops, whether the user was on board, and whether the platform now folds. A platform stuck open on a staircase is an escape-route problem as well as a lift fault, so mention that when you call.
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Related terms
Definitions that usually come up alongside inclined platform lift when you are describing a fault.
- platform lift
A slow-travelling lift with an open or enclosed platform, used mainly to move a wheelchair user over a short rise.
Lift types
- obstruction sensor
Any sensor that stops travel when something is in the way — under a stairlift footplate, beneath a platform, or across a doorway.
Safety devices
- emergency stop
A latching switch that cuts the drive immediately and holds the equipment stopped until it is released.
Controls and electrics
- lift
A powered machine that carries people or goods between fixed levels of a building, guided by rails and controlled from landings and from inside the car.
Lift types
- home lift
A small passenger lift installed in a private dwelling, usually serving two floors and built to the machinery rules rather than the commercial lift rules.
Lift types