Child's death in NC vacation home prompts residential elevators to get safety guards

A child's death last summer at a North Carolina vacation home is prompting a voluntary recall for residential elevators.

When 7-year-old Weston Androw was crushed after getting trapped between the inner and outer doors of a residential elevator in Corolla last summer, his death highlighted serious safety gaps.

Manufacturers will now offer safety fixes to nearly 69,000 home elevators across the country.

Unlike commercial elevators that are supposed to be inspected once a year, residential elevators are not.

Instead of waiting for the law to change, the Consumer Product Safety Commission issued recalls to try and prevent the next tragedy.

"Even with the expansion of these private residential elevators, particularly on the coast that are being used as commercial properties, we do not currently inspect those because it's not in the authority given to us under the current statute," said labor commissioner Josh Dobson.

Dobson calls on lawmakers to re-examine regulations. The Consumer Product Safety Commission just announced three residential elevator makers – Bella, Inclinator, and Savaria – will provide free space guards to keep children out of the dangerous area between the doors.

CPSC warned consumers to stop using elevators from a company called Waupaca because it refused to cooperate with the voluntary recall.

When buying or renting a vacation home with an elevator the safety commission says make sure to keep unsupervised children away until the safety guards can be installed.

Elevator makers will work with homeowners to size and install the new safety guards.