Elevators in Ontario increasingly dangerous, Elevator Reliability Act gains traction

From bumps and bruises to amputations and even death, data suggests elevators in Canada are proving increasingly dangerous.

In the past six years, six people have been killed and 1,225 people have been injured, including 69 permanently, in elevator mishaps in Ontario – which accounts for close to half of Canada’s elevators – according to the Technical Standards and Safety Authority, which regulates the devices in the province.

The TSSA data shows the number of incidents more than doubled between 2011 and 2016, rising at an average rate of about 14 per cent a year. Serious injuries have been increasing annually by eight per cent.

“The data  on our website is raw data, but we have to put it into context. It is far more likely to be injured in an automobile or airplane than it is to be in an elevating device.” says Steve Robinson, Communications Manager for the TSSA. “Elevating devices in Ontario are extremely safe by the number of users and by the number of times they are used each year.” He added that the number of incidents has gone up because the number of elevators has increased – there are currently forty thousand elevators in Ontario.

To be sure, the thousands of residential and office elevators in service are generally safe, and deaths and serious injuries related to their use are relatively rare. Still, data obtained by The Canadian Press paints a disturbing picture of what can go wrong when people use a device most take for granted.

Many mishaps, data indicates, relate to levelling issues: when an elevator fails to stop flush with the floor despite TSSA stipulations that elevators should display “stopping accuracy.”

“Out of level: Lady cracked her toes when she tripped into elevator,” one TSSA investigation report states. “Member of public watched four people within 15 minutes trip,” states another. “Lady tripped going in elevator; broken nose, broken thumb,” according to another.

Sometimes, parts aren’t secured properly: “Position-indicator panel in the car came loose and swung down and hit tenant in the face; cut to face.” Or: “Ceiling fell on passengers; little girl got a goose egg, and mother two-centimetre cut on finger.”

Electrical fires originating in circuit and controller boards are not unusual, the reports show.

“Bottom right side of controller had flames that melted wires,” one report states.

Other recorded incidents stray into the bizarre or even comical: “Male leaving elevator tripped while carrying pies, hit the hall wall; various body parts sore,” and “Valet retrieving car left it in gear. When he got out, it crashed into door. It bent and came off track.”

The authority identifies numerous causes for the problems, including shoddy maintenance and failure to follow the rules. However, the bulk of incidents are blamed on “user behaviour.”

“The vast majority of issues on elevators are related to user behaviour – about 80 percent.” says Robinson. “That would be anything from cuts and bruises, tripping and falling to putting your hands in the door or allowing a child to put their hands in a door.” Distracted users were also identified as a primary cause in the TSSA’s annual report.

Whatever the reasons, some incidents might be categorized as truly terrifying.

In March 2015, an 86-year-old Ottawa man had his legs amputated after a faulty elevator crushed them in a seniors’ co-op building. He died a short while later. “Man got legs pinned between car and hall sill, amputation of legs,” the report states. What caused the mishap was never clear, the TSSA said.

Other incidents range from toddlers getting fingers and hands trapped, and electrical fires erupting, to devices that drop and stop suddenly and unexplained losses of critical hydraulic oil.

“Day-care: Five children on a tethered nylon strap. Two got in elevator, three outside elevator. People rescued them. No injuries,” one report states. “Man with dog tried to kick dog leash into elevator and caught foot between doors and fell broke his arm.”

In another case, an elderly woman got into the elevator at her seniors’ residence. “(She) was in there for 20 hours before they found her,” according to the report.

“Elevator reliability is a very important issue in my riding.” says Liberal MPP Han Dong. “I’ve been at senior homes and have repeatedly been told that seniors won’t leave their apartment when there’s an elevator out of service in their building, because they’re afraid they may not be able to get back to their apartment. In some cases they will have to forgo their doctors’ appointments. So it’s becoming a health and safety issue.”

Dong introduced a private member’s bill aimed at tackling unreliable elevators in April dubbed the Elevator Reliability Act. It has passed a second reading in the legislature with unanimous support from all parties and is awaiting a third reading.

The bill requires most elevators be repaired within 14 days and as soon as seven days for those in long-term-care and retirement homes. It also mandates elevator traffic studies for new highrise buildings, to ensure they have sufficient capacity.

Dong says there are a number of reasons why elevators are not repaired promptly ranging from contractor and union issues to the device itself.

“I just want to see some swift movement on this. I think since the introduction of the bill, and since the passage of second reading, I’ve gotten the attention of industry.” says Dong. “Here at the House, I’m working with the House Leader, and I’m doing my best to get to the next stage.”

In the meantime, the TSSA is making efforts to further user safety and education.

“We’ve issued some public service awareness videos that we want people to watch, to be aware of how you should interact with an elevating device.” says Robinson. “We shouldn’t take it for granted.”