Elevators, while providing easy and convenient movement, can also be a source or serious injury to elevator maintenance workers and the general public. Approximately 30 people are killed each year in accidents involving elevators and escalators, with another 17,000 injuries. While Hollywood tends to exaggerate the dangers of riding in elevators, which seem to break every few minutes on screen, there are some real risks associated with elevators. Thankfully, many effective safety features are used today to prevent injuries from occurring.
The first, and most important, safety measure in most elevators is the cable itself. While action heroes are continuously struggling against snapping cables, this situation is highly unlikely. The ropes supporting elevator cars are made of several lengths of steel which are wound around one another. Just one of these ropes is strong enough to support not only the weight of the elevator car itself, but also the counterweight as well. But, in the unlikely case that one of these ropes should snap, there are an additional four to eight ropes that will support the elevator.
Should a catastrophic accident occur and cause all of an elevator’s cables to snap, it is still highly unlikely that the elevator car would fall to the bottom of the elevator shaft. Most elevator cars have an automatic braking system that will grab the rail if the elevator car starts moving too quickly.
Finally, the design of elevator doors helps to prevent any injuries involving empty elevator shafts. Anytime you see elevator doors opening, there are actually two sets of doors in motion—an interior and exterior set. The interior doors are attached to the elevator car itself, and will open at each floor of a building. The exterior set is located at each floor, and will only open if an elevator is present.
While these safety measures are often successful in preventing most elevator-related injuries, accidents still do occur. If you or someone you know has been injured in an elevator accident, contact a Minneapolis personal injury lawyer at Terry, Slane & Ruohonen, PLLC at 612-362-0000 today.
