 Whether you have a residential elevator in a home you own, or there is one in a vacation home that you rent, you may encounter a hidden danger. In-home elevators with hazardous gaps can seriously injure or kill small children. The danger is the gap between the exterior hoistway door and the elevator car door, where small children can get trapped and crushed if they are in the space between the doors when the elevator moves. It's important to protect children by taking steps to eliminate gaps that are too big. Several companies have recalled elevators with hazardous gaps and are providing fixes free of charge. Check cpsc.gov to see if your elevator has been recalled. If the elevator has not been recalled, you should have a qualified elevator inspector examine it for hazardous gaps. If hazardous gaps exist, have space guards or electronic monitoring installed to remedy the hazard. Keep unsupervised children away from all residential elevators. Always remember to lock the elevator in an unusable position or lock all exterior doors to the elevator when not in use. If you are in a rental and aren't sure if the elevator is safe, check with the owner. Keep the children away from the elevator and lock or block the doors to keep children safe. Stay healthy, stay safe. Find specialized tips for residential elevator safety at cpsc.gov.