Safety is one of the most important concepts in numerous settings, and within any kind of home elevator or lift setup will be a great example. Luckily, major improvements to elevator product safety and security have been common within the last couple of decades, and many of the concerns some people may have about their safety are thankfully overblown.

At A+ Elevators & Lifts, we’re here to offer a wide selection of home elevators and related products to clients around Salt Lake City, Boise, Cheyenne, Reno and many nearby cities. Let’s go over why some people may mistakenly think home elevators are unsafe or have certain safety risks, then dig into some of the key safety features that make these concerns a thing of the past.

Why People Think Elevators Are Dangerous

In most cases, those who mistakenly think a well-installed elevator is unsafe hold this opinion due to outdated information. While it’s true that decades in the past, elevators did have certain risks and constant maintenance needs, these days they are incredibly reliable.

For instance, elevators in the 60s and 70s had manual safety features and were prone to breakdowns if not regularly serviced. However, today’s elevators feature automatic safety features and typically require minimal maintenance over time.

Even in more minor or distinct areas, today’s elevators are much safer than those of the past. For instance, older elevators would travel at very slow speeds — sometimes taking over a minute to reach their destination — while modern-day models can complete this same journey in only 10 seconds or so.

Our next several sections will go over the key safety features that today’s home elevators can be built with to ensure full protection of everyone involved.

Interlocks

For many years, one of the largest risks with any elevator was the possibility of someone opening a door to an elevator while the elevator itself is already in motion. Today, all elevators come with interlocks that will not allow a door to be opened until the elevator stops at its destination. This important feature can help ensure no one ever attempts to jump in or out of an elevator while it is still in motion.

Interlocks also prevent a situation where someone on a higher floor opens up an elevator door to find no elevator waiting on the other side. This is a potentially very dangerous situation, but it’s literally impossible with today’s elevator setups.

Gate Features

Another key element of today’s home elevators are gate features. These will help to keep the doors open while someone is entering or exiting the elevator, then close once those on board have had time to settle in and prepare for their trip.

Gate features also allow any passengers inside an elevator to temporarily stop the elevator if they feel unsafe or encounter a problem.

Fire-Protection Feature

Finally, all modern elevators come with fire-protection features that will keep a fire from spreading into other parts of the building. This is especially useful in multi-story homes, where the elevator can effectively act as a firewall to prevent any spread of fire or smoke into areas that have not yet been affected.

For example, the elevator will often feature an emergency button that can be pressed by someone inside if they detect smoke or a fire. This will cause the door to close and prevent any further spread of the fire, while also activating an alarm and alerting those outside of the situation.

Backup Power

Another issue in older elevators that isn’t found in today’s models is the lack of backup power. If an older elevator lost power, it was often stuck until a repairperson could come and reset it — sometimes taking hours or days depending on the situation.

But with today’s elevators, there is usually a built-in generator that will kick in if the main power source ever fails. This means that no matter what happens, the elevator will still be able to get people out safely in the event of a power outage.

Improved Lighting and Indicator Buttons

As a final safety feature, today’s elevators typically come with improved lighting and indicator buttons. The improved lighting will make it easier to see where you are going, while the indicator buttons will alert those outside of the elevator when its coming or going.

These safety features help ensure that everyone is aware of what’s happening inside the elevator at all times.

Emergency Features and Phones

Finally, today’s elevators come with a variety of emergency features and phones. Most modern models have both an intercom system and a phone that can be used in the event of an emergency. This means that anyone who is stuck in an elevator can quickly reach out to someone outside for help.

These features also typically come with a GPS locator, so that emergency services can quickly and accurately pinpoint the location of an elevator in order to provide assistance.

These are just a few of the safety features that come with today’s modern home elevators, but it should give you a better idea of how your family can stay safe while using one. With these features combined, you can be sure that you and your loved ones are always as safe as possible while utilizing an elevator.

At A+ Elevators & Lifts, we take the safety of our customers extremely seriously, which is why we only use elevators that have all of these features and more. Contact us today to learn more about how you can benefit from the safest home elevator or lift setup available, whether you’re in SLC, Boise, Cheyenne, Reno or any nearby area we service.