Member Article

IoT data shows people spend 11.6 million hours a year stuck in elevators

New data from a smart elevator technology expert shows that elevators break down on average at least four times a year, with each breakdown taking an average of four hours to be fixed. With more than 17 million lifts in operation globally, that is nearly 272 million hours of downtime each year.

Uptime’s database of more than 1.8 billion data points generated every year from 1,000 elevators, which monitors 200 touch-points from each single elevator, shows that one out of six elevator breakdowns occur with people trapped inside, with successful rescue after about an hour on average. In total, this means people across the globe spend 11.6 million hours stuck in elevators every year, equating to 1,320 years, before being rescued.

This breakdown cycle can quickly become a stumbling block for buildings post-pandemic.

An accompanying survey of 2,032 adults in the UK shows that consistently working elevators are more important than air ventilation, security and cleaning when considering a new property - 30% of UK respondents stated that elevators breaking down frequently is most likely to stop them buying or renting in a building if they were to live on the sixth floor, compared with poor security (20%), poor air ventilation (14%), or a lack of regular cleaning in communal spaces (12%). A vast majority (87%) of all adults surveyed in the UK said it would be important to have a consistently working elevator when living on the sixth floor of a building, with a majority (60%) saying it is very important - a need that will only grow as occupants strive for a safe return to normality.

“The downtime and unreliability of elevators poses a huge cost for building managers and occupants, - both financially and in real life terms - which simply cannot continue,” said Augustin Celier, co-founder and CEO of Uptime.

“Cities are already grappling with the unparalleled challenges of returning its populations to living and working in safe environments. Frequent and long elevator breakdowns could put tenants and workers in danger, damage the reputation of building managers, and even play a significant role in workers choosing not to return to the office.”

Predictive maintenance technology for elevators provides access to data that leads to fewer breakdowns, more uptime and less costs. Real-time data enables improved safety monitoring, increased performance and a better overall elevator experience, while the availability of transparent information strengthens trust between building managers and elevator service providers.

“With COVID-19 putting safety and efficiency front of mind, using real-time elevator data in the right way means users no longer have to live in fear of breakdowns or long waiting times, while building managers can regain control of their elevators’ performance and costs. Meanwhile, elevator manufacturers can focus on what they do best - manufacture the most reliable equipment possible - while service providers can focus on providing the highest quality of service and results,” concludes Celier.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by D Baker .