Using a stair lift to move up and down a set of stairs is one of the safest and most secure ways to travel between floors of your home. Thanks to the reliability of a stairway chairlift, users can enjoy increased independence while continuing to live in a beloved, multi-story home.
Simply put, stair lifts offer convenience and security. Here’s a closer look at what makes stair lifts so safe — from their sturdy construction and meticulous installation to ensuring their reliable performance over the years.
Stair Lift Safety Starts with the Basics
Stair lift safety begins even before your stair lift is installed. Our trained Stair Lift Experts will make sure to recommend a stair lift solution that is safe for you and your home. For example, our Team is trained to think through how you will safely enter and exit the stair lift at each landing. In addition, stair lifts come standard with certain safety features to provide you with peace of mind.
Safety Sensors
Stair lifts have multiple safety sensors to keep the user safe and secure. The chair is attached to a rail installed directly onto the stair treads. The mechanism that moves the chair along the rail, called the carriage, has sensors on both the uphill and downhill sides to detect any obstacles, such as a piece of clothing that may have fallen.
If one of these sensors detects something blocking the path, the system will automatically stop the chair from moving forward. This prevents the carriage from running into or getting caught on any objects along the path of the rail.
On the chair itself, a footrest sensor will detect if the user’s foot slips off of the foot platform and engage the safety to stop the lift so that there are no pinch points.
The overspeed sensor is another safety feature inside the stair lift. This safety device will stop the lift if it travels faster than its maximum manufacturer-designed speed.
Safe Riding Position
Stair lifts have the ability to swivel from side to side to allow for more effortless loading and unloading. To ensure further security, a seat swivel switch ensures the chair will only travel if it is locked in its forward-facing position. If, during travel, the user attempts to swivel the chair or otherwise disengage the seat swivel switch, the chair will stop automatically.
Additionally, each armrest on the chair has a sensor that will trigger the chair to stop moving if the user lifts the armrest during travel in the downward direction. This helps ensure that the rider remains securely seated in the chair.
Proper Stair Lift Use
A properly installed stair lift includes a rail precisely measured to fit the entire length of your stairs, ensuring it aligns perfectly with both the bottom floor and top landing. This allows users to sit on the chair smoothly and without any difficulty.
When entering or exiting the chair on the top landing, it will swivel away from the staircase and lock in place to ensure users can sit comfortably and stand safely without risk of falling down the stairs. If it is hard to envision how this works, we encourage you to visit a local stair lift showroom to see for yourself!
Seatbelt Options
Every stair lift is equipped with a seatbelt, which can be a lap belt, three-point harness, or five-point harness.
- A lap belt secures across the hips with a single latch.
- A three-point harness, similar to a car seat belt, includes a shoulder strap that fastens across the body and connects to the lap belt.
- A five-point harness, often used for children with disabilities, features shoulder straps over both shoulders and additional straps around the waist, providing maximum security.
Stair Lift Maintenance
When it comes to safety, regular stair lift maintenance is essential. That’s why Arrow Lift recommends an annual maintenance visit to ensure your stair lift’s proper functioning and longevity.
Our trained Technicians will inspect your stair lift’s rail, tightening all rail and chair fastening hardware as needed. Then, they will clean and lubricate the gear racking that the stair lift carriage travels along. Any dust or dirt that may have accumulated will be cleaned and cleared from the stair lift. All chair, carriage, and rail safeties will be inspected as well.
Battery Function
While stair lifts plug into a standard home electrical outlet, they also have backup battery power. Our Technicians will test your chair’s battery load with and without power during your planned maintenance visit. In the event of a power outage, a properly functioning battery should be able to go up and down the stairs several times.
Put Your Trust in Arrow Lift’s Stair Lift Safety Expertise
In addition to keeping up a regular maintenance schedule, there are several things you can do to ensure your stair lift is functioning in the safest way possible. These include:
- Have working remotes at both landings so that you can always call the stair lift to your location.
- Keep your stairs clear of objects to ensure a smooth, uninterrupted ride.
- Fold up the stair lift when not in use to avoid any tripping hazards for other household members walking up and down the steps.
While stair lift safety has many universal standards, every home is unique. By choosing a trusted company like Arrow Lift, with decades of stair lift safety expertise, you can be confident that we’ll help you find the best stair lift solution for your needs. Start today by scheduling a free, no-obligation consultation!
