Elevators exist in tall buildings to ease the movement from one storey to another, hence making all the areas accessible with the least effort and within the shortest time possible. But just as with any other machines, elevators also have their own shortcomings. They may experience problems due to human or mechanical error, and lead to accidents and injury of the passengers or the structures around it. It is the work of the elevator accident investigation team to make an inquiry to the circumstances leading to the accident, and find the party responsible for the misfortune. Such evaluation is done in the following manner.
1. Clearing the scene
Once the accident has occurred and the damage has been done, the first and most important thing to do is to secure the place. This means sealing off the scene from intrusion by unauthorized personnel who may interfere with important evidence material. It is, therefore, very important to have a professional team on standby to handle the casualties at the scene of the accident, instead of allowing inexperienced civilians to get in and out haphazardly.
Not only does it increase their chances of getting injured as they lack protective wear, but they also tamper with evidence which could shed a lot of light on what really happened. Such evidence includes CCTV footage and passenger cameras and phones among others.
2. Planning
For any project to be successful, everything has to be planned; from the resources required to undertake the investigation, to the methods and procedures that will be followed to deliver the report successfully. It is important to hire a competent team of experts who have dealt with such situations before and have done their work in a satisfactory manner. They should have vast experience and expertise to make their work easier and more credible. Have an effective reporting and communication structure, as well as the appropriate methods required for the investigation to be a success.
3. Collection of data
Identify as many sources as possible from which you can get the relevant information needed to solve the case. Use primary sources such as video footage from cameras and narrative accounts from the people who were directly involved in the accidents; and secondary sources like witness accounts of the people who witnessed the event, and calls made to various agencies for help. It is also at this point that the elevator and surrounding structures are inspected, and the relevant documentation is collected for further investigation.
4. Analysis of data
Once all the important data has been collected and gathered in manageable documents, the experts take time to study it and analyze it in order to come up with a logical explanation of exactly what happened. The data should be able to show the exact sequence of how things unfolded, and what led to the other, so that the root cause of the accident can be identified. Whether it was caused by human or mechanical error, or environmental influence, there has to be a responsible party behind the whole mess.
5. Liabilities and remedies
The contracts between the parties are then reviewed in order to understand their various duties and liabilities. This makes it easier to pinpoint one party on whom the blame is laid. The remedies of the injured parties and the procedure of how to go about them are also identified in order to lay down a proper compensation structure.
6. Reporting
Once all the above stages are complicated, the investigation team has to consolidate all the findings into one compact document that explains everything in detail, including the conclusions and recommendations. It is then delivered to the relevant parties as stated in the reporting/communication channel, and the necessary action taken.
