How safe are stairlifts?
Stairlifts are meant to make your life easier and more independent, but how safe are stairlifts?
A stairlift can give you back the freedom to enjoy every part of your home without struggling. With a stairlift, you can conserve energy and save yourself the excruciating pain that comes with going up and down the stairs multiple times each day.
Deciding to have a stairlift is a big decision. It will change your life and that of those around you. It’s only rational that you have reservations and questions concerning the stairlift.
One of the biggest questions that most people have about stairlifts is their safety. Stairlifts are not fully understood, particularly on the safety aspect.
If you have been wondering how safe are stairlifts? This article will go through each feature of a stairlift and how they ensure your safety.
The construction of a stairlift is the first step to making it safe. Most leading stairlift manufacturers are keen on the quality of components used to make the stairlifts.
Before manufacture, representatives from Access BDD will come to your home to assess the obstructions and take measurements. That’s because no two stairlifts are built the same.
The parts are bespoke and precise measurements are taken to make sure the stairlift works perfectly in your home, we even make stairlifts for narrow staircases.
Once the stairlift is built using the best quality parts, it has to be rigorously tested before being installed. Every aspect of the stairlift is put under the microscope. It’s repetitively checked for any flaws and faults.
It’s estimated that before the stairlift can leave the testing plant, it has done a total of 25,000 up and down journeys. That’s the equivalent of over 10 years’ worth of trips.
To guarantee you’re getting a high-quality and safe product, you will get a warranty on parts and labour for your stairlift. In case anything happens, the manufacturer will fix the stairlift free of charge.
Why not also read: Should You Move to a Bungalow or Install a Stairlift?
Speed is one of the most scrutinised aspects of a stairlift and also one of the most meticulously executed.
The speed of the stairlift can be a hindrance and hazard at the same time. If the stairlift is too fast, it becomes a hazard. If it’s too slow, it becomes a waste of time. It’s a factor that needs to be carefully balanced to make sure the stairlift is functional and safe.
Stairlifts have a speed of 0.1meters per second. Considering that on average staircases are 4.1meters long, a stairlift would take roughly 41 seconds for a one-way trip.
It’s a safe speed that will not throw you out of your chair even if the stairlift stops suddenly. Furthermore, before settling on this speed, a lot of research and testing had been done to make sure this was the perfect combination of speed, convenience, and safety for all stairlifts.
A good stairlift doesn’t only focus on quality or speed. Even though these factors play a key role in the overall safety of the equipment, there’s more that’s required.
Other features are built into the stairlifts to make them safe and secure. These include armrests, seat belts, footrests, sensors and a variety of other vital features.
If you have any concerns with your stairlift, it’s essential to talk to a consultant and find out what safety features your preferred stairlift has to offer.
Remember, all the safety features in the world will not be any good if you don’t use them. In addition to getting the right stairlift, you also have to cultivate a safe routine when using your stairlift to make sure you’re using all the safety features and the stairlift properly.