Michele Peterson, Founder of REMI Home Elevators (Residential Elevator Manufacturing Incorporated) has dedicated her career to improving the lives of others. She reveled in the fact that REMI has made a difference for so many in their homes, yet could not let go of decades of heart wrenching stories of children injured or killed in home elevator accidents. The committed CEO continued to read, research and consult with leading safety experts and engineers, in search of the ideal safety solution.
Following the January 1, 2015, implementation of a rigorous new installation code for home elevators in her home state of Tennessee, Peterson made a watershed decision for REMI. She would take her lead from the State and develop her own manufacturer's standards to assure that her home elevators are installed and maintained in the safest manner possible, regardless of what her competitors did. According to Michele Peterson. Our customers look to us for expertise, depending upon us to guide them. We feel it is not only a unique opportunity to provide a higher level of service to mankind, it is our fiduciary responsibility to provide them with the best, safest finished product.
Referred to in the industry as the 3" x 5" rule hoistway door violation, many of the injuries have been as a result of too much space between the elevator's solid outer door and the inside accordion folding door. The rule is there is to be no more than 5 in between the two; this is to eliminate the chance of a child getting trapped in between the two doors. Since the implementation of folding according doors which are more flexible, it has become increasingly more difficult to maintain the 5 gap maximum. Peterson's no-nonsense directive plainly states that all elevators being repaired, inspected, or re-inspected will without exception, meet the 3 x 5 rule or be shut down, until they do. The company will provide remedies to all home elevator owners, even committing to provide adaptation materials at-cost.
REMI's unprecedented safety mandate does not stop with existing elevators. The new company policy also mandates all new elevators installed after March 1, 2015, be installed with an additional baffling layer attached to the inside of the solid outer door. Designed especially to fill this 5 space, the baffle eliminates the chance a child could get trapped between the doors, as it stops the outer door from closing when someone is in between the two doors. And, while baffles have been available as an option for some time, REMI is the first to make this a requirement.
Peterson realizes that while REMI professionals delivering a message of newly mandated safety updates may not make her popular with all her service clients, she can handle the heat. We are fully vested in our unwavering promise to improve safety in home elevator design and construction. The regulatory process in any endeavor can be challenging, but with full knowledge of this, we could not be more dedicated to our directives. We are proud to lead the way, providing a safer environment for children and peace of mind for our homeowners.
For more information on buying or updating a home elevator to assure safety, contact [REMI Home Elevators](http://remi-usa.com/) or call 1.800.545.6120.
