5 Warning Signs That an Elevator Is Dangerous

Elevators offer safe and reliable access to even the highest floors of the tallest buildings. But elevator safety can soon plummet if your equipment isn’t serviced and inspected on a regular basis.

As with all mechanical systems, elevator problems can soon develop, leading to potential injury and possible legal liability, as well as code violations, unhappy customers, fines, emergency repairs, and excessive downtimes.

This is why it’s so important to recognize and act on any possible elevator safety concerns. So, what signs should you be looking out for? Keep reading to find out.

1. Misaligned Stops

One of the most common elevator warning signs is when the car doesn’t stop level with the opening. As well as being a dangerous tripping hazard, a misaligned elevator also renders it inaccessible for wheelchair users. As elevator reliability consultants like AuditMate will explain, elevators should stop within a finite limit of half an inch above or below floor level. Make sure to get this gap fixed before it gets any bigger.

2. Speed Changes

If it feels like the elevator in your building or workplace is going faster or slower than usual, this is a sure sign of an unsafe elevator. Frequent speed changes could result in an injury, especially since one of the biggest elevator safety concerns is the viability of the operating mechanism that allows the car to run up and down.

3. Erratic Closing Mechanism

Doors that close at a slower speed than normal or open and close in an erratic style are definite signs of a dangerous elevator. These kinds of closing mechanism failures are often an indication that the elevator’s entire operating system needs to be repaired or replaced. And, if you don’t see to this early, you could have a total door system failure on your hands, possibly when there are people stuck inside.

4. Strange Sounds

A healthy, modern elevator should run in near-silence as it moves from floor to floor. If you hear any kinds of loud clanging and banging, screeching, hissing, or grinding noises coming from an elevator, beware of stepping inside. The most likely cause of all that noise is an issue with the pulleys and cables. But it’s always vital to address these kinds of issues as soon as possible to lower the repair costs and reduce downtime.

5. Unresponsive Buttons

Although “close door” buttons in elevators don’t do anything, the other buttons should all be responsive and in full working order. If some seem to stick or don’t respond when you press them, these kinds of glitches will only get worse until the buttons become completely inoperative. As such, make sure to get these problem buttons fixed as soon as you’re aware of the issue.

The Elevator Safety Risks You Shouldn’t Ignore

As these points show, ensuring optimal elevator safety at all times should be a top priority.

Not only can elevator problems cause stress and frustration for the people using them, but often, they’re also early signs of a serious mechanical malfunction that is sure to only get worse the longer you leave it.

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