How safe IS a Stair Lift?

As the main use of a stair lift is to enable the user to maintain access to their home, this has the additional bonus of removing the stress of selling and buying another house.

A stair lift also gives the user a sense of independence and severely reduces the need of having a caregiver come out and help them. Many people have decided to use stair lifts in their home for a number of reasons.

A Stair Lift makes every home accessible.

The most wonderful thing about having your own stair lift is it makes the user’s life JUST so much easier.

Yes, but how safe is one…?

Safety and ease of use are the two most fundamental issues when installing and using a stair lift.

There are a significant number of features inbuilt into the design in order to ensure the highest level of safety. As the Stair Lift user is the one with mobility issues, they often find it difficult to balance themselves on the lift while some also have problems using complicated controls and instructions.

It should be noted that different brands of stair lifts come with different safety features, so make sure you carefully research the safety options available. If possible, see if you can get in contact with people who already own their own Stair Lift, then you can compare the different safety features and also get first-hand accounts of possible problems which could occur

The most common, and certainly the most popular safety feature, is the swivel chair.

This enables the user to access, or exit, from the stair lift with ridiculous ease. When you have reached the top of the stairs, the seat simply swivels around to face the top of the stairs, so all the user has to do is just step out of it. When you are ready to travel back downstairs, simply step back into the seat, it swivels around to the travelling position and when you reach the bottom of the stairs, the seat swivels to allow an easy dismount.

Read here about a comparison between two types of stair lifts…

This feature is fantastic for people with back or mobility issues as they do not have to twist their body and thus no pressure is applied to their body, nor is any discomfort encountered.

Another wonderful feature are movable arm rests. These enable users to hold onto them for balance and feel secure in the seat whilst it is in motion. Virtually all designs have their controls on the arms rest, so all the user has to do is press a button and enjoy the ride!

Most designs also have a locked on and off switch which protects the lift from being abused by mischievous children, or drunken adults, who want to ride up and down the stairs.

Sensors play an enormous role in the safety of stair lifts. Firstly, there are the sensors which detect any obstacles that may on the stairs, or blocking the stair lift track. If the sensors are activated they automatically bring the lift to a stop. This wonderful feature prevents any unnecessary stress being place on the Stair Lift itself and on the user.

There are also limit sensors which ensures the lift stops in the correct position every time.

The smooth braking system also has to be very reliable in the unlikely case of the motor or drive failing. There is usually a combined system of mechanical and electrical brakes; this ensures the lift can never fall from the top to the bottom.

Another safety feature is the smooth starting and stopping of a stair lift. This is extremely important for people with muscular injuries or back pain as it completely eliminates jerky movements.

All models should have a seatbelt as an extra safety precaution. This gives added confidence to the user as the risk of falling from the chair is reduced even further.

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