Residential elevators
CPSC Recall #22-048 — January 11, 2022
Recall Summary
| Recall Number | 22-048 |
| Recall Date | January 11, 2022 |
| Remedy Type | New Instructions, Repair |
Product
Residential elevators
Description
Manufacturers Providing Free Safety Devices to Address Hazardous Gap Spaces between Home Elevator DoorsWASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Bella Elevator, LLC, Inclinator Company of America, and Savaria Corporation, are announcing three separate voluntary recalls of about 69,000 residential elevators.Young children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior landing (hoistway) door and the interior elevator car door or gate if there is a hazardous gap, and suffer serious injuries or death when the elevator is called to another floor.Consumers should keep unsupervised young children away from the recalled residential elevators and contact the manufacturers for instructions on how to measure for space guards to correct any hazardous gap. Space guards will be provided free of charge and assistance with space guard installation will be provided on request.Bella, Inclinator and Savaria have agreed that all current manufacturing and distribution of future residential elevators will comply with applicable voluntary safety standards to eliminate the young child entrapment hazard. CPSC previously warned consumers about residential elevators in July 2021.Statement of Alexander Hoehn-Saric, Chair of the CPSC“I am pleased that the CPSC and these three residential elevator companies, Bella Elevator, Inclinator Company of America, and Savaria Corporation have come to an agreement to rectify a dangerous hazard for consumers who use residential elevators in their own homes, the homes of relatives, or in rental or vacation homes. This is an important step that will prevent further harm from potentially tens of thousands of residential elevators. Industry and the CPSC still have work to do. We have not yet been able to reach agreements with all of the elevator companies to fix their residential elevators that pose the same potentially fatal entrapment hazard and in one case sued a company to force a fix. As long as this hazard persists, I am committed to continuing this work and preventing future entrapment injuries and deaths."Joint statement from Bella, Inclinator and Savaria:“We are pleased to be working with the CPSC on this recall, in which we are providing free space guards where needed to increase the safety of our residential elevators. Today’s announcement also reflects our three companies’ firm, continued commitment to working with our installer partners so that future residential elevators will be installed consistent with voluntary safety standards to eliminate hazardous gaps between home elevator car doors or gates and hoistway doors. We are proud to be leaders in the residential elevator industry in addressing this important issue, in cooperation with the CPSC.” Bella Elevator LLC Recalls Residential Elevators Due to Child Entrapment Hazard; Risk of Serious Injury or Death to Young ChildrenInclinator Company of America Recalls Residential Elevators Due to Child Entrapment Hazard; Risk of Serious Injury or Death to Young ChildrenSavaria Corporation Recalls Residential Elevators Due to Child Entrapment Hazard; Risk of Serious Injury or Death to Young Children
Hazard
Young children can become entrapped in the space between the exterior landing (hoistway) door and the interior elevator car door or gate if there is a hazardous gap, and suffer serious injuries or death when the elevator is called to another floor.
What Should You Do?
Stop using this product immediately. Contact the manufacturer for a New Instructions, Repair at no charge. If you experienced an injury, report it at SaferProducts.gov.
Frequently Asked Questions
Follow the consumer action instructions in the recall notice above. Most recalls require you to stop using the product and contact the manufacturer directly — either by calling the toll-free number listed in the official CPSC notice or by visiting the manufacturer's website. You generally do not need a receipt or original packaging to claim a remedy. The manufacturer is legally required to provide the remedy (New Instructions, Repair) at no cost to you.
Yes. If you were injured by a defective consumer product — whether recalled or not — you may have grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer and potentially the retailer. A recall notice can serve as evidence that the manufacturer was aware of the defect. Injuries that may support a claim include burns, lacerations, fractures, electric shock, choking incidents, and chemical exposure. Most product liability attorneys work on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay nothing unless you win. Consult an attorney promptly, as statutes of limitation vary by state.
In most cases, no. CPSC-coordinated recall remedies are designed to be accessible without proof of purchase. Manufacturers typically ask consumers to self-certify ownership and may ask for photos of the product or its serial number. Some manufacturers request that you mail in a portion of the product (such as a cut cord or removed component) as proof of disposal. Check the specific remedy instructions for this recall for exact requirements. If you registered your product at the time of purchase, the process is usually even simpler.
If the original manufacturer has gone out of business, the recall remedy may no longer be available through them. In this case, contact CPSC directly at 1-800-638-2772 or cpsc.gov for guidance. If the brand was acquired by another company, the acquiring company may have assumed recall obligations. In some cases where a remedy is unavailable, CPSC advises consumers to safely dispose of the product. If you were injured by the product of a defunct company, consult a product liability attorney — parent companies, distributors, and retailers may still bear liability in some circumstances.