More than 100,000 residential elevators recalled after 7-year-old killed in NC
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Thursday announced the recall of 117,100 residential elevators due to an entrapment hazard.
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The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Thursday announced the recall of 117,100 residential elevators due to an entrapment hazard.
The recalled elevators include Cambridge Elevating and Custom Elevators, and officials say young children can become trapped in the units.
Recall details are posted and linked below:
- Hazard: Young children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior landing (hoistway) door and the interior elevator car door or gate if there is a hazardous gap and suffer serious injuries or death when the elevator is called to another floor.
- Remedy: Repair
- Recall Date: Sept. 29, 2022
- Hazard: Young children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior landing (hoistway) door and the interior elevator car door or gate if there is a hazardous gap between the doors and suffer serious injuries or death when the elevator is called to another floor.
- Remedy: Repair
- Recall Date: Sept. 29, 2022
The family was visiting Corolla from Canton, Ohio, when he became stuck on July 11 in the doors of the elevator in the four-story beach house where they were staying, authorities said.
The law requires rental homeowners who have a large gap between the floor and the elevator to cover it with a barrier. The measure passed both chambers unanimously. The new safety requirements outlined in House Bill 619 take effect Oct. 1.
In the last two years, CPSC also announced recalls for Residential Elevator, Inclinator, Savaria, Bella and Otis. According to the CPSC, another company, Waupaca, has refused to conduct a recall.
Officials said there have been 41 deaths associated with elevators between 2018 and 2021. Between 2020 and 2021, more than 19,000 received hospital treatment for elevator injuries.
In most cases, children become trapped in elevator doors in private elevators, such as those at homes.
CPSC Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric said, “Residential elevators pose a deadly risk to children. It’s long past time for all homeowners to address the hazard and ensure that children cannot get trapped between elevator doors, particularly in homes that are used as vacation rentals, by families who may not be familiar with elevators,"
Unlike commercial elevators that are supposed to be inspected once a year, residential elevators are not. A new law was signed by Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper to improve elevator safety.
CPSC reports 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.
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