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Home › Articles › Toddler Safety › Elevator Safety

Elevator Safety

Going Floor to Floor Safely with Small Children

By Teri Brown

Pages:  1  2  3  

Keeping Kids Safe

"Supervise, supervise, supervise," Wilson says. "Also, parents should talk about how to ride an elevator safely."

Talking to your children about elevator safety can go far in preventing injuries. Some key points to get across to your children include the following:

  • Don't rush onto an elevator. Take a moment to look and ensure that the elevator is actually on the floor that the door opens and not an empty shaft.
  • Enter the elevator with your child to ensure he gets on with you. Don't rush ahead and call to him to hurry up. The doors may close, leaving you on the elevator and your kids alone and scared.
  • Don't encourage play on an elevator.
  • Don't block doors, or hold doors open. This will only teach your kids to do the same and can result in injury.
  • Don't let young children ride an elevator alone and unsupervised.

Parents should remember that elevators are often not the only choice to get from one floor to another. There is always the option of taking the stairs, which is a great way to get exercise and encourage your children's activity.

"There is risk in everything we do," Wilson says. "The key to protecting kids is to reduce the risks enough that the likelihood of injury is almost nil."

Elevator Safety Tips

Here are some elevator safety tips from Debra Holtzman, author of The Safe Baby: A Do-It-Yourself Guide to Home Safety:

  • Always accompany children in elevators.
  • Hold the hands of small children.
  • Teach and reinforce in children: Upon entering and exiting, look down to make sure the elevator is level with the floor.
  • Take your time when entering/exiting. If the arriving elevator is full, do not cram in; wait for the next one.
  • Never attempt to enter/exit an elevator while the doors are closing.
  • Stand clear of the elevator doors.
  • Keep backpacks and clothing items like ties and scarves clear of the elevator doors.
  • Stand aside for exiting passengers.
  • Never lean on elevator doors or attempt to pry the elevator doors open.
  • Press the door open button to hold closing elevator doors instead of using any part of your body.
  • Never use an elevator in the event of a fire.
  • In the event of elevator problems, press the emergency call button and wait calmly for assistance.


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