Safety features on Stairlifts

Stairlifts are a vital improvement to any home where residents struggle to climb up or down stairs. They help eliminate the need to struggle and are a much cheaper alternative to converting ground floor rooms into a bedroom or bathroom and certainly much cheaper than moving into a single storey house or bungalow. However, peace of mind is the most important thing when buying a stair lift.

There are a number of safety standards for all stairlifts from reputable manufacturers. These safety standards are specified according to the current British Safety Standards for Stairlifts and these are updated every few years to ensure safety is paramount on stairlifts. It is important to make sure your stairlift has all of the following basic safety features and not just look for a cheap solution.

For safety reasons, all stairlifts must have a safety belt. This is usually in the form of a retractable lap belt and gives you a greater sense of security when traveling up or down stairs using a stair lift.

A very important safety element on a stairlift is the built-in safety sensors. These automatically detect any possible obstacle on the stair lift and in case of detection of obstacles, the stair lift will immediately stop completely. Once the object obstructing the stairlifts path is removed, the stairlift continues to travel up the stairs in the direction it was already moving. These are usually located around the footboard area, so even lower objects are detected.

A limit sensor is mounted on the top and bottom of the stairlift rail. Limit sensors ensure that when the end of the rail is reached at both ends, the stairlift stops in the correct position. It also ensures that the stairlift comes to a slow stop. A smooth start and stop is vital, so in addition to a smooth stop, a stairlift should have a slow, gentle start rather than a jerky start. This eliminates the risk of injury when starting or stopping the stairlift.

Your stairlift should have a lockable key switch. This is in place to prevent anyone, especially small children, from using or activating the stairlift in any way without a key. As a result, the key can be removed after locking.

There should be no risk of electric shock provided the stairlift is a battery-operated (DC) stairlift. This means that there is no mains voltage on the stairlift as it is only powered by 24V batteries. These are rechargeable and in addition to ensuring a smooth and quiet ride along the rail, this also means that the stairlift can run even in the event of a power cut. Stairlifts have charging points at both ends, so they charge even when not in use.

The stairlift should have a dual mechanical and electrical braking system. These are two independent braking systems, which means that in the event of a motor failure, the stairlift cannot descend unexpectedly or at too high a speed.

The swivel seat is vital in a stair lift and must lock into position at the bottom of the stairs. As the name suggests, the stairlift seat rotates so that you can easily get off the stairlift. Also, because the stairlift locks, it acts as a barrier to prevent you from falling backwards down the stairs due to loss of balance, etc. This is essential, especially when getting off the stairlift at the top of the stairs.