Installation
Once the builder has selected lift supplier, the contractor takes over the site from the main contractor when installation can begin. The lift shaft shall be fairly finished at this stage and the main contractor is usually in charge of e.g. closing any entrances to the shaft from the floors of the building. After taking over the installation site, the lift contractor is in charge of safety matters in the lift shaft and the lift un-der construction until the lift has been determined to comply with lift safety requirements and it may be handed over to a third party for introduction into use. The current statutes thus do not provide for an opportunity to hand over an unfinished, i.e. uninspected lift for use during construction. Issue of the inspection certificate is conditional upon all safety requirements being met, including a working two-way voice access from the lift car to rescue services.
Qualified lift contractors are in charge of the technical specifications relating to lift assembly and the installation of lifts in buildings. For new lifts, the components to be installed are typically supplied in a single delivery by one manufacturer (including its subcontractors), in which case the delivery com-prises technical specifications and often the drawings for assembly and placement as well.
Handover
Handover of a lift to the commissioner can take place once the lift has been inspected and determined to conform to requirements. One of the obligations of the lift contractor is to issue a detailed declaration of conformity for the lift and to affix a CE marking on the inside of the lift car in a conspicuous location. The lift contractor is the party placing the lift on the market. Placing a lift on the market refers to the builder of the lift first handing it over to the user for use.
The placement on the market of a new lift, i.e. its handover from the builder onward (to the main contractor) requires the involvement of a notified body. There are several alternative procedures but in Finland, the most common procedure calls for a final inspection carried out on a type-approved type of lift. The procedure of lift-specific inspection is also in use, especially in cases where no type approval applies to the assembly in question.