The Dangers of Belt Manlifts for Firefighters

THE DANGERS OF BELT MANLIFTS

On a recent building inspection of a 4 story parking garage in Upper Manhattan NYC, the members if Ladder Company 43 found an unusual type of elevator designed to transport parking attendants to upper floors.

Information suggests that this is called a “Belt Man Lift”. According to the Humphry Manlift Company Inc. this is the “The low-cost mechanical solution that provides reliable vertical transportation that saves time and energy. In contrast to conventional elevators, there is no waiting for a Humphrey Employees' Belt Manlift. Its endless belt provides continuous transportation in both directions.”

The design is simple. The “Belt Manlift” is a continuous loop, motor driven belt that transports personnel from floor to floor by means of steps and a handle attached to a vertical conveyor belt. The motor is located on the top of the unit (on the uppermost floor served). It is operated by a start / stop control rope located on the up and down side of the man lift. In order to start the belt, the operator pushes up on the control rope and to stop, the control rope is pulled down. A “Safety Stop” is located on the top of the unit to prevent personnel from traveling up and over the belt. When in operation the belt travels at approximately 75 feet per minute. According to the manufacturer, the Humphry Belt Manlift can be installed with a maximum continuous height of 250 feet but 100 foot installations are most common. Humphry Manlift Company Inc. does not install the systems, leaving the installation to private contractors or the customers themselves.

During this inspection it appeared that this lift was retrofitted into the existing structure. The floor appeared to have been “drilled out” in two spots on each floor to accommodate the two sides (up and down) of the belt.

There appears to have been some “aftermarket modifications” to this system such as some of the original manufacturer handholds were replaced by those found in your typical hardware store. Gates that attached to the safety railings around the lift and holes in the floor had been removed.

Where the belt terminates at the bottom floor, there is a metal grate covering the pit were the lower pulley (or drum) is located. The opening in the grate is large enough for the steps that are attached to the belt to pass through, move around the pulley and continue in the direction of travel. There is a warning sign posted on the bottom floor of this manlift that states “Bottom Floor, GET OFF”. It is easy to assume that if personnel did not “get off”, they could descend below the plate and become trapped or pinned between the plate and the belt.

If a fire occurred in a building with this type of manlift installation, firefighters should beware of the following potential conditions:

• Smoke on multiple floors - Holes are cut in each floor allowing the travel of the belt.
• Increased fire spread - Belts are designed with a core carcass commonly made of polyester, nylon and cotton and sandwiched between layers of various types of rubber or plastic. If the belt is involved in fire on any floor, expect rapid fire spread to upper floors and with “drop down” to lower floors.
• Danger of falling through floors – The possibility may exist that safety gates and or railings may have been removed or modified. In heavy smoke conditions proper search procedures MUST be followed!

Belt Manlifts may be found in such facilities as warehouses, grain milling facilities, factories, ships and shipyards, chemical plants, grain elevators, and even Alternative Energy Windmills according to the manufacturer’s website.

-Firefighter Nate Evans