OS4 Specialised works categories

SOA category OS4

Electromechanical conveyor systems

OS4 covers electromechanical conveyor systems: lifts, escalators and moving walkways, goods lifts and lifting platforms. It includes supply, installation, maintenance and renovation, including complementary or ancillary masonry works. It is the category of vertical mobility in residential buildings, hospitals, stations and industrial plants.

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Residential lift, station escalators and industrial goods lift
Residential lift, station escalators and industrial goods lift

SOA certification OS4: areas of application

OS4 covers systems that allow people and goods to overcome a difference in level. The main areas of application:

  • Residential and commercial lifts: Electric traction lifts, including machine-room-less (MRL), and hydraulic lifts, in masonry shafts, steel structures or external towers. For new installations.
  • High-use public buildings: Lifts and bed lifts for hospitals, schools, universities, museums and public offices, with accessibility requirements and, where required, vandal resistance.
  • Escalators and moving walkways: Supply and installation for stations, airports, shopping centres and exhibition centres, with drive and energy-consumption control systems.
  • Goods lifts and industrial platforms: Systems for goods, logistics and vertical warehouses, car lifts and lifting systems integrated into buildings.
  • Removal of architectural barriers: Lifting platforms, stairlifts, stair climbers and lifts installed in existing buildings, with solutions suited to the space available.
  • Modernisation of systems: Replacement of machine, control panel, car and doors; two-way alarms and protection against unintended car movement.
  • Special systems for infrastructure: Inclined and panoramic lifts, high-capacity systems for stadiums and large hubs, internal electromechanical transport systems.
  • Maintenance and inspections: Work on systems, assistance with periodic inspections, telemetry and remote monitoring. For SOA purposes, works must be distinguished from routine maintenance services.

OS4 makes buildings and infrastructure safe and accessible: from new installations to the modernisation of existing ones, through to the removal of architectural barriers.

Cross-section of a lift with traction machine, ropes, car, counterweight, landing doors and pit
Cross-section of a lift with traction machine, ropes, car, counterweight, landing doors and pit

SOA categories related to OS4

OG1
Civil and industrial buildings

It is often the prevailing category in new construction and renovation projects where lifts are a specialised OS4 work.

OG2
Restoration and maintenance of protected real estate

Works alongside OS4 in installing lifts in historic buildings, museums and theatres, with solutions compatible with the protection of the building.

OG3
Roads, railways and underground railways

In works for stations and transport infrastructure, OS4 covers escalators, moving walkways and lifts providing access to platforms.

OG11
Technological systems

Covers the general systems of complex buildings. Lifts remain separate and require the specific OS4 qualification.

OS30
Internal electrical systems

Provides lines, switchboards and emergency power supplies serving lift systems, in coordination with OS4 works.

OS28
Heating and air-conditioning systems

Works alongside OS4 in the ventilation and air-conditioning of machine rooms and in the systems of large commercial buildings.

OS5
Pneumatic and intruder alarm systems

Includes systems such as hospital pneumatic tube systems. Pneumatic transport remains separate from OS4 electromechanical lifting.

External lift tower and stairlift to overcome architectural barriers in existing buildings
External lift tower and stairlift to overcome architectural barriers in existing buildings

Why it pays to qualify in OS4

Demand for OS4 systems is driven by modernisation, accessibility and infrastructure. Existing lifts need upgrading; hospitals, schools and public offices must guarantee accessible routes; stations and airports use lifts and escalators to manage the flow of people.

Want to qualify your company in OS4? CQOP helps you document the works carried out, technical staff and equipment, identifying the classification best suited to your business.

SOA category OS4: frequently asked questions

What is the official description of category OS4?

OS4 covers the supply, installation and maintenance or renovation of conveyor systems, lifts, escalators, lifting and transport systems, complete with complementary or ancillary masonry works, in general works already completed or under construction.

What is the difference between a lift and a lifting platform?

Lifts fall under Directive 2014/33/EU. Devices with a speed not exceeding 0.15 m/s, including many lifting platforms, are excluded from its scope and fall under machinery regulations. Platforms allow solutions with a smaller footprint, useful in existing buildings. Both types of system can fall under OS4.

Which works count as CEL for OS4?

Installation of lifts and goods lifts, escalators and moving walkways, platforms and stairlifts; modernisation with replacement of the main components and lifting systems integrated into buildings. CELs must describe the works and identify the OS4 amounts separately. Routine maintenance contracted as a service is not equivalent to a qualifying work.

Does lift maintenance require SOA certification?

It depends on the subject of the contract. Routine maintenance under a fee-based contract is generally a service, subject to the requirements of the company and licensed staff. If the contract concerns renovation, replacement or modernisation works worth 150,000 euros or more, SOA qualification in the appropriate category and classification comes into play.

Why is lift modernisation a significant market?

Italy’s building stock includes many systems that have been in service for many years. Replacing components and upgrading alarms, doors and stopping accuracy improve safety and accessibility, generating recurring work in apartment buildings, hospitals and public buildings.

Your next move?

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