Do you ever find yourself keeping the doors of an elevator cab from closing completely either with your arm or leg? If so, the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (RBQ) invites you to think over what you may learn with this page.
Most elevators are now equipped with sophisticated devices to reopen the doors by automatically detecting objects that obstruct closing. However, these devices do not eliminate completely the accident risks.
Indeed, some elevators are equipped with electromechanical devices, which, in the absence of physical contact between the contact bar and a person or an object, do not trigger the reopening of the doors. Such devices are more likely to cause accidents.
It should also be noted that an infrared door reopening device, which might be hampered by smoke or flames, must be rendered inoperative after 20 seconds when you stand in front of the detector. The mechanism will shut the doors again automatically, even if you attempt to prevent them from closing. The kinetic energy of the doors is, however, reduced when they close, to avoid the risk of injury.
Since the time it takes for the doors to close is essential to the overall performance of elevators, designers must compromise between efficiency and safety.
To this end, the Safety Code for Elevators, Dumbwaiters, Escalators and Moving Walks prescribes a method of calculating and limiting kinetic energy, i.e. the relationship between the weight of the car doors and the hoistway doors and their speed.
As is true of any mechanical device, the adjustment of the maximum speed can sometimes be deficient, which increases the risk of being struck by the doors and falling.
To avoid the risk of injury and accidents, never use your arm or leg to prevent an elevator’s doors from closing; simply wait for the next car instead!
Most people fear remaining stuck inside an elevator. Even if this situation actually happens quite rarely, it can be stressful, particularly for those who suffer from claustrophobia or an anxiety disorder.