An elevator company wants to make seismic sensors compulsory in Taiwan. Powerful earthquakes like the one on April 3 can cause elevators to malfunction, trapping people inside. Seismic sensors override the controls and cause an elevator to stop at the next floor, so that riders can evacuate. The company says that in earthquake-prone Japan, such sensors have long been required as standard elevator equipment.

Technician
Installing this allows people to get out and not get stuck in the event of an earthquake.

When the device detects an earthquake with an intensity of 4 or more, the moving elevator immediately stops at the next floor and opens the doors to let riders out.

Hsieh Li-chuan
Resident
It’s dangerous if it stops between floors. If you try to mess with it, you could fall down the shaft. This sensor ensures everyone’s safety.

After the riders exit the elevator, the doors close automatically to keep people out. The earthquake is also shut down temporary, so that it doesn’t derail or crash down due to shaking. In the wake of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien, a Taiwanese elevator company bought locally made seismic sensors and donated them to residential buildings. The company says Taiwan’s government should make the sensors compulsory, as is the case in Japan.

Tsai Ting-hsien
Elevator company rep
Japan is also very prone to earthquakes. Since the Great Hanshin Earthquake, they’ve made earthquake sensors a standard component for elevators. We hope to take the lead in creating change.

Peng Chih-hui
Seismic sensor engineer
The seismic sensor is a smart device with communication capabilities, so it can send real-time data to a centralized cloud unit.

Elevators have an average lifespan of about 20 years. According to the National Land Management Agency, there are more than 84,000 elevators in Taiwan that are more than 20 years old. Adding earthquake sensors could strengthen Taiwan’s disaster prevention readiness, while further ensuring the safety of apartment dwellers.

For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53
#台灣新聞 #TaiwanNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan