Companies recalling home elevators to address safety concern

Regulators announced on Tuesday that three companies would recall home elevators that have long caused safety concerns and fatal injuries to children. 

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC)’s announcement said that three elevator manufacturers, including Bella Elevator, LLC, Inclinator Company of America and Savaria Corporation, would have voluntary recalls of roughly 69,000 residential elevators. 

Another company, Waupaca Elevator Company, Inc., refused to cooperate with the recall, though the CPSC has warned against using their product. 

The decision was the result of the danger presented, as “young children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior landing (hoistway) door and the interior elevator car door or gate,” a hazard that can sometimes cause serious injury or death. 

In December 2020, other home elevators were recalled for the same safety concern, and the CPSC filed a lawsuit against another company in July for refusing to recall its product, the commission’s announcement added. 

Just days after that July lawsuit was filed against elevator manufacturing company ThyssenKrupp Access, a young boy was killed in a home elevator accident in North Carolina.

After that, the CPSC wrote a letter to rental companies like Airbnb, Vrbo and Tripadvisor to warn against in-home elevators.

That letter suggested that the companies have professional inspections pursuant to the Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators in addition to alerting renters of the potential hazard and require hosts to lock access doors to in-home elevators. 

The Hill has reached out to Bella Elevator, LLC, Inclinator Company of America and Savaria Corporation for comment.