Glossary term
safety gear
Mechanical jaws under the car that grip the guide rails and hold the car if it ever descends too fast.
What it means
Safety gear is the last line of defence on a traction lift. It is a set of wedges or jaws mounted under the car, held clear during normal travel and triggered by the overspeed governor. If the car ever moves down faster than it should, the governor pulls a linkage, the jaws bite the guide rails, and the car stops and stays stopped.
Where you see it
Under the car frame, working against the same rails the guide shoes run on. On many lifts the counterweight has its own set as well.
How it works
The governor is a spinning wheel driven by a rope that follows the car. Above a set speed, a weight flies out, the governor grips its rope, and the rope pulls the safety gear linkage. Nothing electrical is required, which is exactly the point — the device has to work when everything else has failed.
Once the gear has gripped, the car cannot be moved down until an engineer resets it. A lift found stopped with its safety gear applied is a serious event and is investigated, not simply reset and put back in service.
Why it matters
Safety gear is tested during thorough examination, which is one of the main reasons that examination exists. It is not something maintenance can confirm by looking; it has to be operated under controlled conditions.
Commonly confused with
Safety gear is confused with the brake. The brake holds the car when it is stopped and is used every trip; the safety gear is an emergency device that grips the guide rails and should act only once in a lift's life, if ever. Safety gear operating is an event to be investigated, not a fault to be reset.
Wear, service and lifespan
Because it acts so rarely, safety gear is proved by test rather than by use. Thorough examination includes checking and, at set intervals, testing it. After any operation the gear, the rails, the governor and the car frame all need inspection before the lift returns to service.
Signs to watch for
- The lift stopped hard mid-travel and will not move.
- The car sits slightly nose-down or is jammed in the shaft.
- An engineer reports the governor has tripped.
- The examination report raises the safety gear or governor.
- The lift was reset after a hard stop with no investigation.
Troubleshooting safety gear
A sudden, hard stop and the car will not move
What it usually means: Safety gear may have gripped the rails
Safe check: Treat anyone inside as an entrapment and call the emergency number immediately.
Scoring marks reported on the guide rails at examination
What it usually means: Evidence of a previous gripping event or a dragging safety
Safe check: Ask for it in writing and keep it with the lift records.
The lift was released after a hard stop but rides oddly
What it usually means: Residual damage
Safe check: Report the change and do not accept a reset-only return to service.
How to report it
State that the stop was sudden and violent, whether anyone was inside, and whether the car is level. Do not attempt to move the car and do not let anyone climb out. Safety gear releases need equipment and training.
Ask us about safety gear on your lift
Tick anything you can see or hear from where you normally stand, add a note in your own words, and we will put it into the message below for you. Never open, force or enter any part of the lift to check.
0/800 characters. Please leave out personal details you would rather not email.
Get help by email
Tell us what your lift is doing
Send the make, model, error code and what the lift does now. We reply by email and point you to the right help.
Related terms
Definitions that usually come up alongside safety gear when you are describing a fault.
- governor
A speed-sensing wheel in the shaft that triggers the safety gear if the car ever descends too fast.
Safety devices
- traction lift
A lift raised and lowered by friction between ropes or belts and a driven sheave, balanced by a counterweight on the other end.
Drive and machine
- thorough examination
An independent safety examination of lifting equipment carried out at set intervals and reported in writing.
Service and compliance
- guide shoes
The sliding or rolling parts at the corners of a car frame that hold the car steady against the guide rails.
Structure
- lift car
The enclosure passengers ride in, hung from the drive and running on guides, carrying the controls, lighting, alarm and load-weighing gear.
Structure