They’re supposed to be an essential technology that helps us get where we need to go more quickly. But when something goes wrong with a lift, it can cause confusion, fear, and even danger if there is no backup solution in place. Lifts
Lifts break downs are serious issues. Even if no one gets stuck in the lift itself, when a lift isn’t working it can prevent people from getting to places they want to go, which can lead to much frustration and negative feelings.
Why Lift Break Downs Cause Problems For most people a lift
For most people a lift break down is a minor inconvenience. They can exert themselves a bit more and take the stairs to get to where they need. But for those who are elderly or disabled, a lift break down can effectively strand them where they are.
We saw this recently in the Sunshine Coast. Last year, residents at the Rowes Bay RSL Care Centre who lived on the second story were trapped for three days when the lift went out. A similar situation occurred in the Battersea region of London in January of 2015, when a high rise block of flats lost lift service and many elderly residents, living as high as ten floors up, were stranded due to their limited mobility especially within single lift buildings.
These situations provide many challenges for elderly people and others with disabilities. No matter how sophisticated lift technology gets, it’s clear that there will always be problems that cause a service interruption, whether it’s from a routine power outage or a more serious problem like a natural disaster.
If there’s no guarantee that a lift will be working 100% of the time, what can be done in situations when they are out?
The best answer is to install a powered stair climber that can help make sure that people with limited mobility are able to get up and down stairs properly.
The Advantages of a Motorised Stair Climber
Lift break downs transport elderly & disabled up and down stairs[/caption] Stair climbers aren’t just beneficial for people who have difficulty getting around. They also help emergency responders who report to the scene when a lift breaks and people have to be moved within a building.
There are a few important reasons why any building with a lift that has residents with even partially limited mobility should invest in a high-quality stair climber:
- Prevents emergency responders from having to strain themselves lifting and carrying many people up and down flights of stairs
- Preserves the dignity of people being transported: They feel more independence when they can sit by themselves and don’t have to be carried
- Improves evacuation efficiency in case there is an emergency when people need to be removed from a building very quickly
So which chair is best to safeguard your building from a lift breakdown? It depends on your needs, but there are a few things you should look for in a powered evacuation chair if you want to have a suitable backup if/when your lifts go down.
Characteristics of a Great Powered Stair Climber Evacuation Chair
- Must be easy to operate so that emergency responders and those being transported both understand how to use it when time is of the essence
- Must be comfortable enough for patients to sit on when they are being transported down stairs
- Must have a reliable motor and drivetrain so that you can always depend on it working, even in an emergency
- Must be easy to grip so that emergency responders can maintain control over the chair throughout the entire evacuation process
These are just a few of the things you will want to look for in a chair that is used for emergency evacuations when lifts are down. Which chair is best for you? We suggest the EvacuLife Power Motorised Stairclimber Evacuation Chair as an evacuation solution when you need to get people out of your building quickly.
Benefits of the EvacuLife Power Motorised Stairclimber Evacuation Chair
This EvacuLife Power Motorised Stairclimber & Evacuation Chair is completely powered, meaning you can operate it with just the touch of a button. Its sophisticated motor and drive system means that stability and safety are top-notch.
Whichever kind of evacuation chair you choose, make sure that you have a viable solution in place as a backup to your lifts so that nobody in your building has to deal with the inconvenience of getting stranded.
