General President of Elevator Constructors Union Applauds Recent Actions to Protect Children from the Dangers of Home Elevators
IUEC General President Frank Christensen recently released a statement in response to a recall announcement coming from three residential elevator companies. In his statement, the union leader warns that children pinned between interior and exterior elevator doors have been hurt and even lost their lives when the elevator car moves. He argues that the door gap issue has been a problem for too long and that this latest recall is a significant step to help protect innocent children.
Read the full statement below.
“Residential elevators, when not properly installed, inspected, and modified, are not safe, especially for children who have been hurt and even killed after becoming trapped between residential elevators’ interior car and exterior hall doors. The gap between these two doors – ultimately, a very preventable issue – turns in-home elevators into death traps.
Our union commends the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, groups like Kids in Danger, and other industry stakeholders, for spearheading the effort that led three companies to recall tens of thousands of in-home elevators. This recall is a significant first step and will help protect innocent children.
Sadly, the door gap has been a danger for far too long. What’s more, in many states, safety standards associated with commercial elevators do not apply to residential lifts. In-home units may not even be registered – meaning it’s unclear how many residential elevators actually exist and, more importantly, the last time the elevators were inspected.
As long as this hazard exists, our union will do everything in its power to assist in identifying a sustainable, affordable solution to this problem, which we strongly believe should include a combination of regular inspections, proper registration policies, and the incorporation of space guards where needed.”