thyssenkrupp Access Corp. Recall to Inspect Home Elevators

The space that can create a home elevator entrapment hazard to children is the space between the hoistway (or landing) door and the elevator car door or gate. If this space is too large, a child could become entrapped and suffer serious injury or death.

The “HOISTWAY DOOR” is the exterior door that leads from the hallway to the elevator car. There is one hoistway door at every floor served by the elevator (and at every entrance to the elevator, such as a front and rear entrance). The “HOISTWAY DOOR” is also sometimes referred to as a “LANDING DOOR.”

The “ELEVATOR CAR DOOR” or “GATE” is attached to the elevator car itself. It often is a folding "accordion" door or "scissor" gate.

Your home elevator may have an excess space between the hoistway door and elevator car door or gate large enough for a child to enter and potentially become entrapped. Entrapment between the hoistway door and elevator car door may result in serious injury or death to children.

A space guard is a safety device that attaches to the inside of the hoistway door and reduces the space between that door and the elevator car door or gate. Space guards vary depending on the size required and may be made of plastic or metal, but generally look like this picture when installed.

36" metal space guard

Homeowners who currently have any thyssenkrupp Access Corp. residential elevator model previously furnished by ThyssenKrupp Access Manufacturing, LLC; ThyssenKrupp Access Corp.; Access Industries; or National Wheel-O-Vator (jointly “thyssenkrupp Access”) may participate in this Recall to Inspect. Elevator models include:

• Chaparral
• Destiny
• LEV
• LEV II
• Rise
• Volant
• Windsor
• Flexi-Lift
• Independence

If you have any questions about whether your thyssenkrupp Access Corp. home elevator is within the scope of this Recall to Inspect, please contact an agent toll-free at 1-800-285-9862 (Toll-Free) or reach out via email at info@homelevator-safety.com.

Please contact an agent toll-free at 1-800-285-9862 or reach out via email at info@homelevator-safety.com. The agent will ask for proof that your home has an affected thyssenkrupp Access model elevator to qualify. The model name and serial number of your home elevator can be found in the manual that was provided with your elevator, and it may be displayed on a metal plate inside the elevator car. If you are unable to identify the model or manufacturer of your home elevator, contact us or your dealer, home builder, or realtor.

Yes. It is essential to take these steps to protect children, even if children do not live in your home. Children have been killed or injured in vacation rentals and while visiting grandparents’ and other people’s homes furnished with an elevator.

We strongly recommend that you install a space guard. Children have been seriously injured or killed after becoming entrapped in the space between the hoistway door and the elevator car door or gate.

Homeowners should never let children access or use an elevator without adult supervision. You should block children from accessing elevators until you are able to arrange for a free inspection and installation of space guards or other measures, if necessary.

Space guards will be tailored to your home elevator installation to reduce the hoistway-door-to-sill depth to the minimum distance reasonably obtainable, where feasible without interfering with either the function of the elevator, the access of persons with disabilities, or the required running clearance of the elevator.

Space guards are available in standard widths of 32 inches and 36 inches. If neither of those widths are suitable for your door size, please contact us for further assistance at 1-800-285-9862 (Toll-Free) or reach out via email at info@homelevator-safety.com.

Plastic space guards are about 15 pounds each. Metal space guards are about 32 pounds.

Yes. Homeowners who register for this Recall to Inspect may select a third party of their choosing for measurement and/or installation of space guards but must notify us of their preference in advance so that we can provide their preferred contractor with the program specifications and reimbursement limits. Such contractors will be reimbursed directly for the reasonable costs associated with measurement and/or installation of space guards by providing us with appropriate documentation (e.g., invoices) and acknowledgements. If you have any questions regarding what reasonable costs will be reimbursed, please contact us for further information at 1-800-285-9862 (Toll-Free) or reach out via email at info@homelevator-safety.com.

Yes. Homeowners may request self-installation of space guards. All instructions and materials required for measurement and space guard installation will be provided to homeowners free of charge.

Any homeowner who initially requests self-installation is still eligible for free inspection or free installation upon request. Click here for an instructional video.

All space guard components recommended for installation should be installed to maximize effectiveness and to minimize the child entrapment hazard in your home. If you decline any part of an installation, you understand and accept the risk that, as installed, the installation will not provide maximum effectiveness or fully address the child entrapment hazard in your home.

Depending on the configuration of your hoistway door, it may not be possible to install space guards securely to the hoistway door. However, a contractor will need to measure and inspect your hoistway door to make a final determination. If after inspection, a contractor determines that your hoistway door is unsuitable for installation of space guards, or if a contractor is unavailable in your area, the Administrator will contact you regarding an alternative remedy.

If your hoistway door is unsuitable for space guard installation, you can choose to replace, at your own expense, the hoistway door with one that is suitable for installation of space guards. After you have completed installation of your hoistway door replacement, please contact the Administrator regarding next steps. If you do not elect to replace the hoistway door with a door that is suitable for installation of space guards, the Administrator will furnish you an alternative financial remedy, as outlined in FAQ 17 and FAQ 22–FAQ 25.

Under requirements set by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) for the thyssenkrupp Access Solutions Corp. Recall to Inspect Consent Agreement (“Agreement”), CPSC-approved space guards must be installed within a quarter inch (1/4”) of all sill landings without impeding the function of or access to the elevator. We cannot authorize installation of space guards if we determine, based on provided measurements, that installation of CPSC-approved space guards cannot meet those parameters. We also are not authorized to install any unapproved space guards to reduce gap spaces.

Where a gap space cannot be remedied by installation of CPSC-approved space guards within the terms of the Agreement, the Agreement expressly authorizes us to give you a financial remedy. In accordance with the Agreement, you have received a check which is “equal to the actual cost of space guards that would have been required, plus an amount equal to the average cost of installation of space guards.” We encourage you to expeditiously utilize this reimbursement check to invest in an alternative solution to keep you and your family safe when using your home elevator and to follow precautions to keep children safe. Please refer to FAQ 22 for details.

As Administrator for this Recall to Inspect, we can only offer CPSC-approved remedies and must require that contractors working on this Recall to Inspect follow CPSC guidelines and installation requirements set forth in the Agreement. Unfortunately, there are no available CPSC-approved space guards that can be installed by the Company’s contractors to address the gap spaces in your residence within the requirements of the Agreement. In this situation, issuing payment that is “equal to the actual cost of space guards that would have been required, plus an amount equal to the average cost of installation of space guards,” is expressly approved under the Agreement as the remedy we can offer you. We encourage you to expeditiously utilize this reimbursement check to invest in an alternative solution to keep you and your family safe when using your home elevator and to follow precautions to keep children safe.

Where service providers working on this Recall to Inspect cannot install CPSC-approved space guards because they will not meet the installation requirements of the Agreement, they are obligated to tell us. We then notify you that the approved alternative remedy we can offer you under the Agreement is to issue a check equal to the actual cost of space guards that would have been required, plus an amount equal to the average cost of installation of space guards. The Company has been out of the residential elevator business for many years, but we encourage service providers to discuss with you possible alternatives to the CPSC-approved space guards that might be appropriate for your home. Remember that all additional costs above the amount of the reimbursement check–including costs associated with ordering, installing or otherwise handling any alternative solutions—are your responsibility and subject to your agreement with the service provider of your choice. We encourage you to expeditiously utilize the reimbursement check we send you to invest in an alternative solution to keep you and your family safe when using your home elevator. Please refer to FAQ 22 for details.

In instances where the gap space can be addressed in some, but not all, landings, we will notify you, and you can elect to request installation of space guards, where appropriate. If you make such election, we will also send you a reimbursement check for an amount “equal to the actual cost of space guards that would have been required, plus an amount equal to the average cost of installation of space guards,” for the landing(s) that cannot be corrected using CPSC-approved space guards. We encourage you to expeditiously utilize the reimbursement check to invest in an alternative solution for the landing(s) not suitable for space guard installation, and to follow precautions to keep you and your family safe when using your home elevator. If you do not make an election within thirty (30) days of the notice, we will provide the reimbursement remedy. Please refer to FAQ 22 for details.

Yes, you can either contact the service provider participating in this Recall to Inspect program assigned to measure your residence, or utilize a service provider of your choosing, and liaise with them on potential alternative solutions. All additional costs above the amount of the reimbursement check–including costs associated with ordering, installing or otherwise handling any alternative solutions—are your responsibility and subject to your agreement with the service provider. We encourage you to expeditiously utilize this reimbursement check to invest in an alternative solution to keep you and your family safe when using your home elevator. Please refer to FAQ 22 for details.

We have conducted extensive market research and independent review of compensation structures with service providers participating in this Recall to Inspect to create a compensation formula leading to an amount “equal to the actual cost of space guards that would have been required, plus an amount equal to the average cost of installation of space guards.” This mode of calculating the value you are entitled to receive as reimbursement towards an alternative solution is set forth in the Agreement.

In accordance with the Agreement, you are solely responsible for any difference between the reimbursement amount and any additional costs of an alternative solution. thyssenkrupp Access Solutions Corp. is not responsible for providing you any additional compensation or reimbursement under the Agreement, or for ordering, installing or otherwise handling any alternative solution.

Since CPSC-approved space guards cannot be installed in your home, per the Agreement, the reimbursement check is intended to be used towards payment of an appropriate alternative solution to address the gap space. By accepting this payment, you agree that thyssenkrupp Access Solutions Corp. has fully satisfied its obligations to you under the Agreement with CPSC. In accordance with the Agreement you are solely responsible for ordering, installing or otherwise making arrangements for an alternative solution to address the gap space, and for paying your selected contractor any difference between the reimbursement amount and any additional costs associated with installing an alternative solution. We encourage you to expeditiously utilize this reimbursement check to invest in an alternative solution to keep you and your family safe when using your home elevator.

Payment to you in an amount “equal to the actual cost of space guards that would have been required, plus an amount equal to the average cost of installation of space guards,” is expressly approved under the Agreement as the approved remedy we can offer you under the Agreement should CPSC-approved space guards not be appropriate for your residence. We encourage you to expeditiously utilize this reimbursement check to invest in an alternative solution to keep you and your family safe when using your home elevator and to follow precautions to keep children safe.

Under the Agreement, we can only work with contractors or service providers who agree to adhere to the specifications and requirements set out in the Agreement. We diligently seek to identify contractors in all regions, but where we are unable to locate a service provider in an area willing to join our Recall to Inspect program as an authorized contractor, we invite you to identify a local contractor who might be willing to assist you. We recommend searching for a local contractor and/or utilizing the contractor that handles maintenance for your elevator or who initially sold or installed your elevator to explore solutions. Experienced local elevator service providers or contractors should be aware of the gap space issue and should be able to provide space guards or other technical solutions that would reduce the chances of child entrapment. However, if local contractors choose not to join the Company’s approved Recall to Inspect program, or CPSC-approved space guards cannot be installed in your home, the sole remedy is financial reimbursement, as outlined in the above FAQs.