Modern elevators are relatively safe with proper installation, maintenance, and regular service, but children can still suffer injuries without proper supervision.Teach your kids these Dangers and Safety Tips to keep them safe while riding an elevator.
DANGERS
1. Body part caught in moving doors
This type of incident is most among toddlers as the child’s hand could become stuck between the panels and sustain injuries.
2. Door Strike
Although modern elevator doors are equipped with motion sensors, these devices may fail to detect a smaller child and close, potentially causing injury.
3. Levelling
Elevators can get out of level from regular use. With the difference in level, people and especially children can trip and fall while they are getting on or off the elevator.
4. Entrapment
It is very dangerous when your child is trapped while riding the elevator alone and tries to get out on their own.
Because if the elevator is in between the floors and the children tries to escape, they tend to lose their balance and fall back towards the elevator, slipping underneath.
5. Pressing Random Buttons
It can disrupt proper operations or set off a false alarm. Many modern elevators have emergency buttons on their panels, and a child pushing random buttons could trip an elevator’s security measures.
SAFETY TIPS
- Teach your child to stand away from the doors and not to put their hands or feet into the area between the moving door and the adjacent wall.
- .Teach your child not to try to prevent the elevator door from closing with their hands or feet and not to stand in the gap as the doors close.
- Teach them to use the “Door Open” Button.
- If your kids ride the elevator alone, teach them to never climb out of a stopped elevator and wait for trained emergency personnel to arrive.
- Push the alarm button or call for help using the elevator phone. If those are not working, yell for help.
- .Teach your child to watch their steps while entering and exiting the elevator, as it may be below or above the level of the ground.
- Teach your kids to not press any random buttons as it can trip an elevator’s security measures and set off a false alarm. SET A GOOD EXAMPLE! Your kids look to you to learn how to behave in various situations.
- One of the best things any parent can do to encourage safe elevator habits is to practice good habits themselves.
- Set a good example and always look for teaching opportunities that could help a child stay safe in elevators in the future.
