Elevators perform the critical role of transporting occupants and materials through institutional and commercial facilities. As with roofs and HVAC systems, occupants take the performance of elevators for granted — until something goes wrong, as in the case of one Florida hospital.
Malfunctioning elevators that suddenly dropped several floors have injured at least 12 people at Miami’s Veterans Administration (VA) hospital over two years, the director of National Nurses United Miami VA chapter told the Tampa Bay Tribune. The group represents thousands of nurses at 23 VA facilities.
Patients and workers use the elevators to move through the 12-story hospital. All of the Miami VA’s main hospital elevators were listed as having some parts in poor or critical condition during the hospital’s most recent 2023 assessment.
While the VA told the union that all of the deficiencies had been addressed, some hospital employees say they are concerned about the safety of patients and employees. Several employees have reported dropping several floors while inside an elevator over the past several years, with at least one worker suffering an injury that required back surgery.
Another employee said an elevator that suddenly dropped several floors resulted in an ankle injury.
Dan Hounsell is senior editor for the facilities market. He has more than 30 years of experience writing about facilities maintenance, engineering and management.?
