Take the stairs, let the elevator wait
When time is short, it’s tempting to take a service elevator and avoid the crowds. But, we all know it’s not the right thing to do. For patient safety and care, service elevators are reserved for transporting patients and vital equipment. Instead, there’s an even better option: take the stairs.
Taking the stairs frees our public elevators for patients and visitors, and it doesn’t take much to make a positive impact on your health. Walking up stairs just two minutes a day helps prevent weight gain.
The many other health benefits of taking the stairs include:
- Weight loss: Climbing just two flights of stairs per day can lead to 6 lbs. of weight loss over one year.
- Higher bone density: There’s a strong association between stair climbing and bone density in post-menopausal women.
- Higher aerobic capacity: Active stair climbers are generally more fit and have a higher aerobic capacity.
Oh, and don’t forget … you won’t have to waste time waiting for elevators any more.
Cori Ross
The Diamond Health Care Centre (DHCC) was designed and built with the expectation for people to use elevators. The fire stairwells can be used to exit the building but the fire exit doors are locked from the stairwells to prevent people from wandering into open work spaces. If we were to unlock the fire exit doors we would allow public access to areas that are currently restricted to staff.
The only exception is that medical students can access the 2nd floor using stairs off of the main floor lecture theatre. They can also enter the building from the outside by card access to get to the 2nd floor. This is the only floor that they can access.
Julie
Stairs are not always an option for those that work on the top floors especially when you must travel to other parts of the hospital multiple times a day. It is unfortunate that the public usage elevators in the tower are constantly “under repair”. I believe this is the reason we see more people trying to use the service elevators. When all the elevators are functioning there are only minor challenges with people moving.
Lori
I understand security concerns, but policies should be reconsidered to allow people to take the stairs. To take them 1 flight after waiting a long time only to get in a very crowded elevator is not benefitting anyone. Also, during cold and flu season the busy and crowded elevators are a sure environment to sharing air-borne germs. Please re-consider the “no stair policy”!
Anna
Our clinic staff and many patients have said they would love to take the stairs. However, the DHCC does not provide access to the stairs. The elevator line-up at lunch time can reach all the way to the coffee shop. Changes to this policy would be greatly appreciated.
Margaret
It is a shame that staff are unable to access the stairs at DHCC. I feel it is a waste of my time and others to have to take the elevator for one floor, yes even one floor.
Joan McTavish
I work on the 5th floor at the Diamond Health Care Centre and we are not permitted to use the stairs. It seems strange to me that a “health” centre discourages staff and/or visitors to use the stairs. I’ve been told it is for security reasons. I would like to know who I could contact to raise this issue asI know that I am definitely not the only one in this building who would like to use the stairs!
Shan
It’s too bad that the stairways in the DHCC don’t have “flashcard” equipment so that the staff can use their ID to access the stairs.
mary Orr
I would love to take the stairs in the Diamond Health Care Centre but the stairways are locked and we all have to wait in long lines to take overcrowded elevators.