Modern-day elevators are incredibly safe themselves, but that doesn’t mean they are incapable of causing injury to individuals who improperly use them. Whether you have an elevator in your home or business in Salt Lake City, understanding the basics of safe elevator use and sharing them with your family and/or staff can help prevent injuries or worse. Here are some of the essentials of proper elevator use, and also a few words about the importance of elevator repair and maintenance.
Entering/Exiting an Elevator
When entering and exiting an elevator, watch your step and be mindful of the gap between the floor and the elevator shaft, especially if wearing heels or open-toed shoes. If wearing a dress, long jacket, or other long item of loose clothing, make sure it is pulled back from the doors so it doesn’t get stuck when the elevator shuts and begins to move up or down.
Children and Elevator Use
Children should always be accompanied by an adult when using an elevator, even if just going up or down a single story in a residential property. Children should never be allowed to play inside or around an elevator, especially when unsupervised. Explain to your children the dangers that elevator pose so they are dissuaded from exploring them alone.
Passenger/Weight Capacity
Never exceed the posted passenger and/or weight capacity listed inside the elevator. This represent the maximum number of passengers and/or total weight an elevator can safely handle. Exceeding the posted limits increases the risk of the cables snapping (although there are numerous safety devices in place to prevent elevator free fall in the event of a snapped cable).
Elevator Maintenance and Repair
Another crucial element of elevator safety is keeping your elevator is good working order. Sign up for a regular elevator maintenance plan with a residential or commercial elevator company in Salt Lake City. And be sure to schedule elevator repair at the first sign of a problem, regardless of how minor it may seem at first. Elevator problems will only get worse over time, so the sooner your elevator is repaired the safer it will be for your family, employees, tenants, or anyone else who uses your residential or commercial elevator.