Self-Diagnostics
One of the biggest problems with elevator telephones is that they are not checked regularly by maintenance staff. They either forget about them, assume that the elevator company is taking care of them or think that nothing can go wrong with them. As a result, it is not at all unusual to have someone stuck in the elevator trying to call out for help, only to find that the emergency telephone does not work for some reason. This not only causes additional stress and danger for the passenger, but it also exposes the owners of the building and elevator company to the possibility of serious liability claims.
Many things can cause elevator phones not to work... someone mistakenly canceling the phone line, vandalism, damage to wires caused by an elevator technician or contractor in the telephone room, or even an area code change made by the telephone company. We've seen all of this happen so often over the years that we decided to do something about it.
Auto-Chek™
Auto-Chek™ is an exclusive monitoring service offered to all Webb customers. When activated, the software within each Webbphone emergency telephone will automatically check its internal operation and report its status to our central computer. If any problem is detected with a particular unit, we then automatically send an email report to a designated person (property manager, building manager, etc).
The simplicity and efficiency of this "exception report" format is one that property managers really appreciate. Click here if you would like to see a sample of a typical email report.
Voice-Alert™
Some customers may wish to take care of the self-diagnostic function themselves. If so, they can simply activate the Voice-Alert™ function in their Webbphones. This will automatically provide a voice announcement in the elevator every 10 minutes if any problem is detected with the emergency telephone (loss of phone line, loss of AC power or loss of back-up battery power). Building staff can then contact the appropriate maintenance personnel to get the problem corrected.
Due to the importance of having the elevator telephone system always working should it ever be needed in an emergency, the Voice-Alert&trade messages can be programmed to play in English, French, Spanish and various combinations of these three languages. This will help to ensure that the information is communicated to the appropriate building personnel as soon as possible.
Self-Diagnostics Benefits
Building owners appreciate self-diagnostics for two simple reasons... safety and liability. As mentioned earlier, site personnel rarely remember to check the operation of their elevator phones. In fact, research indicates that approximately one-half of all calls to fix elevator telephones come about as a result of someone having been stuck and then finding that the phones didn't work for some reason. Not being able to contact help in an emergency not only places passengers in danger but also exposes the owners to significant liability risk. Self-diagnostics can go a long way in helping building owners eliminate both of these potentially serious problems.
Rest Easy
In today's increasingly litigious world, risk management is an important element in the operation of every building owner, property manager and elevator company. We invite you to put the leading-edge technology of Auto-Chek™ and Voice-Alert™ to work for you in keeping your buildings and elevator passengers as safe as possible.
Note: Regulatory authorities are now considering mandatory self-diagnostics for inclusion in the next update of the Elevator Safety Code. Installing Webbphones in your building ensures that your emergency communication system will remain compliant with any such change to the regulations.