FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A fatal elevator accident at Ohio State University last month, and a close call at the University of Arkansas last summer make this year’s “National Elevator Safety Awareness Week,” Nov. 12-18, that much more timely. According to Mike Stiles, Occupational Safety Coordinator for the University of Arkansas Office of Environmental Health and Safety, both accidents could have been prevented if students had followed some basic elevator safety rules.

Both serious accidents, at the University of Arkansas and Ohio State, were the result of overloaded elevator cars.

The weight an elevator can safely hold is clearly posted inside the cab. Elevators should never be overloaded. Students, faculty and staff should always be aware of potential overloading and step off if they find themselves in a tightly packed elevator.

Rule No. 2: Don’t try to leave a moving elevator.

In both of the serious accidents, a student tried to get off the elevator while it was moving slowly downward. 

Rule No 3: Don’t try to force elevator doors open

This can cause the elevator to move, potentially causing injury.  This was another factor in both of the recent accidents.

Every elevator is equipped with an emergency phone; if you find yourself stranded in an elevator use that phone to call for help. All elevator emergency phones on the UA campus are answered by a University of Arkansas Police Department dispatcher, who will immediately notify elevator personnel and send an officer to the scene. Follow only instructions from elevator personnel, firemen or police in an emergency situation. Never try to climb out of a stranded elevator.

Rule No. 5: In case of fire, do not use an elevator

A fire can cause elevators to lose power, trapping passengers inside the car and burning building.

The most common elevator-related injuries are caused by tripping when entering or leaving an elevator or being hit by closing doors.  Following a couple of common sense tips can prevent these injuries.

Watch your step getting on and off an elevator.  Make sure the car is level with the floor.

Don’t interfere with opening or closing doors.  If the doors are closing, let them. Never reach your hand out to stop a closing door. Wait for the next elevator.

Elevators are a safe, dependable means of transportation when used properly. Unfortunately several elevator “myths” persist and sometimes cause unsafe behavior.

Myth # 1:  Elevators are held by a single cable

Fact: High-rise elevators are actually supported by multiple steel cables, each of which can support a fully loaded cab. Furthermore, even if all the cables fail, a safety braking system clamps onto the guide rails to stop the car from falling.

Myth # 2: Hall doors can open on an empty elevator shaft

Fact:  If the car is not at the landing the hall doors won’t open. When the elevator car nears a landing an unlocking device engages with the hall doors, allowing them to open. 

Myth # 3: You are in danger in a stalled elevator cab

Fact: Elevator cars are designed to provide a safe environment, including plenty of air, for occupants in an emergency situation. Use the emergency phone to call for help and wait for trained personnel to get you out. Under no conditions should you attempt to force a door open and exit the elevator. 

The University of Arkansas has 106 elevators on the main campus, a number that will grow as new buildings are completed. Campus passenger elevators are inspected twice a year and tested annually to insure that they are working safely.

To promote Elevator Safety Week on campus the Office of Environmental Health and Safety is putting informational safety posters in campus elevators and adding an elevator safety section to its Web site: http://elevators.uark.edu/.