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Elevator Accident Lawyer
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Atlanta Elevator and Escalator Accidents
The Georgia elevator and escalator accident attorneys and the personal injury and wrongful death lawyers at Jonathan W. Johnson handle elevator and escalator accidents that result in serious injury or death to passengers, building employees, emergency safety workers and elevator maintenance and inspection personnel in metro Atlanta and Georgia.
Atlanta residents use elevators and escalators on a regular basis in shopping malls, hotels, office buildings, private residences and schools.
Escalators and elevators kill approximately 30 people each year and injure 17,000 nationwide, according to data provided by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Elevators cause approximately 90 percent of all deaths and 60 percent of all injuries, with escalators accounting for the remainder.
SAFETY TIPS FOR ESCALATORS AND MOVING WALKS:
- Make sure shoelaces, scarves and other items likely to get caught in an escalator are tucked in and secured.
- Be careful stepping on or off an escalator, especially if you wear bifocals.
- Always face forward.
- Hold on to handrails and do not grab the sides beneath the handrails.
- Keep a close eye on all children riding an escalator with you.
- Once you disembark, move quickly away from the exit area.
- Do not jump, ride backwards or run on an escalator.
- Do not ride escalators with strollers, walkers or carts.
Health rights
Among the leading victims of elevator accidents are maintenance and building service workers. Often, these employees fall into the shaft, are caught in between moving parts, or are harmed by collapsing elevators.
These devices are also potential sources of injuries and deaths for people using them as passengers. The majority of elevator related deaths involved falls into empty elevator shafts. The “caught in/between” and “struck by” deaths often involved getting caught in the elevator door or between the elevator and door or shaft.
Elevator and escalator owners and operators have a legal obligation to properly maintain equipment and have elevators and escalators regularly inspected and serviced.
Property owners, inspection companies, elevator and escalator maintenance and service companies, and even equipment manufacturers can be held responsible for elevator or escalator accidents that lead to serious injury or death of a passenger.
SAFETY TIPS FOR ELEVATORS:
- Make sure the elevator is level with the floor when entering or exiting.
- Don’t rush.
- Don’t exit an elevator stopped more than 9 inches from a landing.
- Don’t enter or exit an elevator while the doors are closing.
- Use a “door open” button instead of body to hold an elevator door open.
- Don’t lean on elevator doors.
- Keep clothing items from closing in elevator doors.
IN AN EMERGENCY
- Never use an elevator during a fire.
- Wait for help and remain calm.
- Don’t attempt to pry elevator doors open.
- Use the emergency communications system or press the emergency call button.
- Follow instructions from building management or safety crews.
- Never attempt to exit a stalled elevator without the help of safety crews, building management or other professionals.
- Move to the rear of the elevator while waiting for help.
Source: New York City Department of Buildings
Escalators and moving walks have helped transport large quantities of people for the past several decades. With proper precautions, users are able to move quickly and safely while avoiding the limit and exertion of walking or taking the stairs.
An escalator is set of continuous moving stairs. Escalators are power operated and function by a constant moving driving system which allows one to ascend and descend from floor to floor, without the exertion of a traditional staircase or the weight of an elevator. A moving handrail completes every escalator and provides extra security to riders. For safety purposes any item with wheels such as wheelchairs and strollers should not be brought onto the escalator.
A moving walk way is also referred to as a moving sidewalk. A moving walk way is a giant conveyor belt or set of moving metal plates, designed to move people quickly from one point to another. The moving walk only moves horizontally, sometimes with a slight incline, and is often found in large airport terminals. Moving walks allow a large quantity of people to move quickly through a given area. Moving walks also have a moving handrail to assist in keeping passengers safe. Riders are free to move about while on a moving walk. They can continue walking to hasten their trip or take a rest and let the moving walk do the work. Passengers are also able to bring baggage, strollers, wheel chairs, and other wheeled devices onto the moving walk, while maintaining the safety of all passengers.
When riding an escalator or moving walk way it is very important to follow appropriate safety precautions to ensure personal safety.
– Always check that hair, clothing, and accessories are securely tied back or tucked in. Loose items have the potential to become entangled and can pose a serious safety risk.
– Pay close attention to the direction of the escalator/moving walk way before you step on.
– Step carefully onto the escalator stairs/moving walk way.
– Grasp the railing at all times with a free hand. Maintain your grip on the rail being careful to avoid the wall below the handrail.
– If traveling with small children, hold their hand. Older children may hold the railing while riding.
– Bags, packages, purses, and any other personal belongings should never be placed on escalator stairs.
– Carry personal items close to your body and away from escalator/moving walk mechanisms.
– Stand firmly in the middle of the stair or moving walk way.
– Never sit on the escalator or moving side walk.
– Use caution when exiting the moving side walk or escalator.
– Continue moving after exiting an escalator or moving walk to ensure all passengers are able to exit safely.
– Never block the exit of an escalator or moving walk.
– Use extra caution if you wear bifocals.
– Open toed shoes should be avoided when using an escalator.
During an emergency, never ride an escalator or moving walk way. Always walk to the nearest emergency exit and follow instructions of emergency personnel.
Source https://www.cbaconsultants.com/
