Professional Documents
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Ups Downs Safety Magazine
Ups Downs Safety Magazine
Elevating Awareness.................................................4
Stepping Up Safely....................................................6
Safe By Design........................................................10
Strollers on escalators are DANGEROUS! Running up the “down” (or down the “up”)
Use the elevator instead. escalator is DANGEROUS!
Escalators and moving walks are NOT for freight. Smoking on an elevator is discourteous to others and ILLEGAL!
Use the elevator instead.
Watch your step when entering and exiting elevators. Children should never ride unattended or sit on
an escalator or moving walk.
As the world’s most widely used and safest form of Even though elevators have built-in, dependable
mass transportation, elevators provide passengers safety features, you can help to ensure a safe and
with incomparable convenience, dependability efficient ride by elevating your safety awareness at
and efficiency. The United States alone has about each stage of your journey.
425,000 elevators that annually carry more than
68 billion passengers (12 times the population
of the world) about 927 million passenger miles.
Although elevator trips outnumber those taken
on air, bus or rail systems several times, elevators
are amazingly safe.
Don’t discriminate.
Gender or age has nothing to do
with who should exit first. It’s just
common sense. Let passengers
closest to the door exit first.
Calm, Cool and Collected – Wait for assistance. – Firefighters and emergency crews
While building emergencies are rare, – Never try to climb out of a stalled elevator may need to use the elevators for
should one occur, you can be confident unless assisted by a trained emergency crew. rescue work.
that the situation will be resolved efficiently
with the help of the elevator’s advanced If there is a building fire, blackout or power If you’re in an elevator when the fire
communication systems. failure: alarm sounds:
– Use the stairways. Leave the building by – Don’t panic. Most modern elevators are
If the elevator stops between floors: way of designated emergency exits. designed to return you to the lobby
– Stay calm and push the alarm button – Avoid the elevator for the following reasons: immediately.
provided in all elevators. – Fire can interrupt the flow of power
– Use the elevator’s telephone or intercom to an elevator system.
to request help from the building staff.
Way to Go
What is the proper way to ride an escalator?
Here are a few suggestions:
– Face forward on the center of the step with
feet slightly apart and without touching the
stationary sides.
– Hold the handrail.
– Watch your step when entering and leaving the
escalator, and step off (don’t slide off) quickly.
– If your hands are full with packages or luggage,
choose a nearby elevator instead of the escalator.
Balancing packages on the steps or
on the handrail may cause injury to
yourself or other passengers.
– When using a wheelchair, stroller,
crutches or any kind of cart, follow
the signs to the nearest elevator.
Escalators were never
intended to accommodate these
vehicles safely.
– Recognize your limitations. If you
feel uncomfortable riding, or experience
difficulty boarding or exiting an escalator,
use the elevator instead.
What’s Ahead
In the future, elevators may actually have the capability to recog-
nize passengers personally, to respond to their verbal commands
for service, and to turn on heat and lights in their apartments
and offices. With the contributions of Schindler’s technological
1859 sophistication and commitment to quality, the future of eleva-
tors, escalators and moving walks continues to look up.
1895 1900
How It Works
Elevators: In-FALL-ible?
Deflector
Can an elevator fall? Elevators are equipped with sheave Controller
safety features that make it virtually impossible for Traction sheave
Motor Governor
them to fall. In a high-rise building, at least four generator
set or
steel cables raise and lower the elevator, any one solid state Roller guide
motor drive Door operator
of which is strong enough to support it. The
cables can support the weight of the car plus the Elevator car
and doors
maximum allowable weight of the passengers. A Hoist cable
Safety brake
counterweight is attached to the other end of the
cables to balance the weight of the car. Guide rail
Counterweight
If an elevator should overspeed during descent,
two emergency features would automatically Governor cable
intervene. First, switches turn off the elevator’s
drive power. Then, spring-loaded wedges, called Buffer
safeties, grip the guide rail. Since the guide rail is
securely fastened to the building structure, it’s vir- Traction Elevator
tually impossible for a car to fall. In low-rise build-
ings, the safety features are somewhat different,
but just as reliable. Controller
Main drive shaft
Step drive chain
Escalators: Floor-to-Floor Efficiency Handrail
Escalators, the most efficient form of vertical Balustrade
transportation, are power-driven, continuous, Steps
True Or False
1 The escalator handrail is primarily for use by children, the elderly and the handicapped. Answers to Crossword
I US G E N I ON T S E L E C
2 Pushing the “up” and “down” buttons at the same time WON’T make an elevator work faster. R OV E W R EM N A A
T O D AM R T A A H P P
3 Elevators may not always land flush with the floor.
O E N N T T O Y
S E D C L O L OW E N S Y A E
T I ON E I T E L L
4 Elevator cars are held in place by giant magnets. S
E ND
L AY
U S
S D I S P
F
S
E
E L E
F U T U R
R E A T O E L E V R A P A
5 All elevators are equipped with light sensors that can reopen partially closed doors. C R R C OM E T S OD
I D L L I N
E X T Y N L ON E L L T RA V E
O H O E O V N R R
OWN T H O I S T E F D
O E E T T F S C R AW L
K P U C I T S I
Answers to True or False
O V E A B ND R A I L A A N H
T D O R H R E A C
equipped with sensors; thus, it’s best to keep hands and loose clothing away from closing doors. E N S E L R S T A R D P
or hydraulic mechanisms with multiple safety features, not on magnets. 5. False — Older and less sophisticated elevators may not be L E E E N H E O S
settle slightly out of alignment with the floor, so it’s advisable to look before getting on or off. 4. False — Elevators depend on traction G Y N E R D E E T E
Conflicting signals may actually delay service by causing the elevator to make unnecessary stops. 3. True — Occasionally elevators A V R I S E K H H H I G
E R R V E O MO GA S R
1. False — All passengers on an escalator should face forward and hold on to the handrail to prevent loss of balance. 2. True — E O M I U U
ON E P H E NG E R S S L P A S
U.S. Headquarters
Schindler Elevator Corporation
20 Whippany Road, P.O. Box 1935
Morristown, New Jersey 07962-1935
Tel. 973.397.6500
E1310
Canada Headquarters
Schindler Elevator Corporation
3640A McNicoll Avenue
BRN-1007a