While elevators are among the safest modes of transportation, improper maintenance and mistakes made by passengers can lead to injuries and even deaths. This article contains information on the demographic most likely to be seriously injured by elevator doors--children-- and also discusses elevator-related deaths, liability and some guidelines pertaining to elevator safety.
An elevator control panel
Children
Most serious elevator injuries are sustained by children. Between 1990 and 2004, 29,030 children were injured seriously enough by elevators to require emergency-room attention, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Most of these injuries resulted from elevator doors closing on children and consisted of bruises, scrapes, sprains and strains on the arms and hands. Injuries to the head were also common for children younger than 4 years old.
The plurality of injuries, 26 percent, was sustained by 1- and 2-year-old children, who have often begun to walk and become more independent but are unaware of many risks, such as those posed by elevator doors. Since children often imitate the actions of adults, they may attempt to block an elevator door, resulting in injury.
Prevention of Child Injuries
The vast majority of these injuries were preventable, with only five percent of them being the result of elevator malfunction. If you have children, you are advised to supervise them closely when they are in or near elevators and you should avoid blocking the elevator door in order to set a proper and safe example.
Elevator-Related Deaths
A study released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which examined the period of 1992-2003, reported 68 elevator-related deaths among passengers who used elevators at work while a study conducted by the Consumer Product Safety Commission reported 56 elevator-related deaths which occurred while the passengers were not at work.
Eighteen of the work-related deaths occurred when an elevator door opened but no elevator was present. While interlocks are supposed to prevent this from happening, they are not always effective. Fatal injuries may also result from being caught inside the elevator door or between the elevator door and shaft. Elevator doors may also open prematurely if a passenger leans on them, possibly resulting in a fall and death.
Liability
If an injury is caused by negligence that results in an elevator malfunction, liability falls on the person or company responsible for maintaining or controlling the elevator. State law will usually impose a duty on an elevator's owner or operator to exercise reasonable care in operating and maintaining the elevator, thus ensuring that its passengers are safe from injury. Landlords of apartment buildings may be similarly liable to ensure that their buildings are safe and properly maintained, for the good of their tenants as well as those tenants' guests.
For Your Safety
Because most elevator-related injuries are caused by passengers, you are advised to keep a few guidelines in mind which may help you avoid injury. Before entering or exiting the elevator, you should make sure that the elevator is level with the floor. You should not attempt to enter or exit an elevator while its doors are closing, and you should use the "door open" button to keep the door open rather than blocking the doors yourself. You should not lean on the elevator doors. Keep loose clothing clear of the doors. If the elevator doors do not open or you are otherwise stuck, you should press the alarm button rather than attempt to force the doors open.
Tags: elevator door, Consumer Product, Consumer Product Safety, door open, doors closing, doors open, elevator door