Home Forums General Discussion Safety Talk Another Death

On October 12th a 28-year-old who was a newlywed and expectant father died when the pit stop switch had been jumped out and did not prevent the elevator from running down and crushing him. The whole of the elevator industry has had available to them a device that should of been made mandatory by code in 2007!!! The TIME OUT JUMPER . But I bet this device is unknow to most elevator men. A jumper that times out and becomes harmless! This device is manufactured by Wurtec and been presented to every Major elevator contractor union and non union in the world. Multiple deaths of workers and passengers and countless injuries have occurred and still as an industry we continue to use the age old wire jumper. I will continue to try to gain acceptance for the device I invented to help save the lives and prevent injury to my fellow elevator mechanics and the riding public. But my hope dwindles as more and more lives are destroyed for no reason.

I agree. Company issued “jumper kits” are only as good as the mechanics ability to remember them where and when used, and time is critical when we find ourselves distracted in a troubleshooting environment. This “time out jumper” should be the direct replacement for those outdated and unsafe hardwire jumpers we’ve become accustomed to. Oh yeah, don’t forget to catalog your jumpers with numbers and colors and this nifty little jumper check list you hang on the machine room door. With companies on our butts about “SAFETY-SAFETY-SAFETY”, and at the ready to strip that “First in Safety” patch right off your sleeve for any minor infraction, you’d think newer technologies such as this TOJ would not only be a no brainer, but it would put the companies money where there mouth is about employee SAFETY. It CAN save lives…is it worth it? YES.

I know a controller manufacturer company, actually used to work there, that sells controllers with serious safety issues. A lot of times they violate safety codes that they have certified the controllers based on. Sometimes even sell the controller without really being certified and just put the CSA logo and hide it from customer....
These are the things that put the people's lives in danger.