Guy Quenneville
Northern News Services
Wednesday, May 30, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - The coroner's inquest into the death of Ken McFee, who fell to his death while attempting to exit an elevator in Northern United Place last July, concluded last week with a set of recommendations on elevator safety in the NWT.

Chief among those recommendations, delivered by a six-person jury, was that all elevators in the NWT be equipped with door restrictors, which would prevent passengers stuck inside elevators from opening the doors.

The jurors have called on the GNWT to "amend the current legislation to mandate that all passenger elevators in the Northwest Territories be modified to meet current code standards in regards to door restrictors, to be implemented no later than one year after legislation is passed."

The current elevator safety code in NWT was amended in 2005 to require elevators installed from then on be affixed with door restrictors.

However, no legislation has been passed forcing building managers to go back and retroactively install door restrictors inside elevators installed prior to 2005.

The second recommendation called for the territory to amend legislation to ensure that any keys needed to operate an elevator are created by a certified locksmith and be tested.

According to the verdict, after being notified about McFee and another man being stuck in the elevator, security personnel at Northern United Place "tried unsuccessfully to activate the emergency selector switch."

One of the jury's recommendations, about spreading the word on elevator safety, echoed the testimony of Chief Elevator Inspector Richard Marion.

Marion made his own recommendations to the inquest, encouraging further "public education about elevator safety." Following McFee's death, Marion visited several schools to speak to Grade 3 and 4 students in the interest of "starting early" and "preventing anything like this from happening again."

As for installing door restrictors on all outdated elevators, Marion had told the inquest "it would be practically impossible."

The Recommendations

1. All elevators in NWT should have door restrictors.
2. The keys for elevators should be created by certified locksmiths and be tested.
3. All elevators should have a telephone or intercom system that's monitored 24 hours a day.
4. A universal symbol should be placed on the top and bottom of each elevator door telling passengers not to try opening the doors.
5. An audit and inspection of all elevators with remote power switches should be conducted biannually by the fire marshal and an electrical inspector.
6. The building operation manager should make sure all keys are functional on a monthly basis.
7. Keys should be clearly labeled and available to all appropriate building staff and emergency responders.
8. An advisory should be posted outside each elevator that includes an emergency number someone can call if an elevator is stuck and a message warning people not to try opening the doors.
9. NWT Community Services Provider should complete all safety modifications to elevators that have been recommended by their maintenance provider.
10. Operational and emergency training should be provided to all security staff.
11. GNWT should send out by mail and e-mail safety bulletins to all elevator operator licence holders.
12. GNWT should conduct a review of public education on elevator safety.
13. Thyssen Krupp - the company that manufactured the NUP elevator - the Fire Marshal, the Chief Elevator Inspector and local fire departments hold information sessions on best practices for people stuck in elevators.
14. Building staff should make every effort to stop people stuck in elevators from opening the doors until the restrictors are installed.
15. Education programs on elevator safety should be better financed and supported.
16. Thyssen Krupp should work with each building manager to clearly outline what role each plays in maintaining the elevators.