SAN
RAFAEL, Calif., July 1, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- Prominently featured in The Inner Circle,
Robert Cotton is acknowledged as a
Top Pinnacle Expert for his expertise in the field of Elevator and
Escalator Consulting. Boasting more than 40 years in the field, Mr.
Cotton is the owner of an elevator company in the San Francisco area; an elevator and escalator
consultant; and an expert witness for litigation involving
elevator/escalator failures and/or accidents. Having completed more
than 1000 inspections nationally, he is considered one of the
foremost experts in elevator and escalator matters. He explained
that his consulting work mainly focuses on equipment failures that
have caused injuries and/or damage, as well as due to floods or
fire. Failure analysis is a forensic focus on electrical and
mechanical failures of elevator and escalator systems which may
include low-rise and high-rise buildings; high-speed high-rise
multiple elevator groups; commercial and residential buildings;
shopping malls; airports; transit agencies; and hospitals.
Mr. Cotton asserts that as an expert witness, he can be called
upon either for the plaintiffs or the defendants to review
evidence; inspect the equipment; determine the root cause of
accidents or malfunctions; and give his factual opinion in court.
He has been deposed more than 80 times, and has testified in at
least eight jury trials. Mr. Cotton said that years ago elevators
had old fashion designs using engineering hand-drawn on paper, and
although they used roughly double the material we use today and
were built like a locomotive, today's elevators are designed,
engineered, inspected, and tested per the prevailing codes on a
continual basis.
Mr. Cotton advises that building owners renovate the equipment
and keep up with technology advancements. Although that may be
costly, it will ensure the reliability and longevity of the
equipment that will avoid failures. "Today, unlike years ago,
elevators have fire-rated doors, so fire won't spread as easily
throughout the building and there are additional safety sensors
required to be in place. In fact, the committee that writes the
national codes are reviewing mishaps and failures on a regular
basis and determines what can be done to enhance safety. For
instance, a Door Restrictor Device on an elevator is a secondary
lock on the internal door of the elevator that unlocks only when
the elevator is close to a landing, to prevent people from climbing
out of a stuck elevator and falling down the shaft," he explained.
"The same holds true for escalators. As an example, a woman was
seriously injured when the scarf around her neck became stuck in
the moving handrail and pulled her down. So, the Handrail Inlet
Device was employed by the code safety committee which required a
safety switch at the entry points of the handrails that can sense
an obstruction that immediately stops the escalator when activated,
preventing such injuries."
Looking to the future, Mr. Cotton aspires to continue to spread
awareness that more of us realize how elevators, although not
foolproof, are not something to fear nowadays, and must comply with
safety codes and laws, and be routinely inspected and properly
maintained so that their safety and reliability is ensured.
Further, the expert said that with the sturdy way elevators are
engineered today, they meet the code criteria; are far more
computerized which is in contrast to the old days of utilizing
electro-mechanical relays; and with computer-based controllers (the
main brain of the system), almost everything is programmable and
certainly much simpler and easier to adjust; trouble-shoot;
pinpoint, and correct issues.
During Mr. Cotton's career as a journeyman elevator mechanic, in
1995 while renovating four elevators at a hotel located in Union
Square, San Francisco California,
the main power switch located in the elevator machine room toward
the roof of the building, had a sudden and unexpected electrical
short and caused an arc-flash, that injured Mr. Cotton with 2nd and
3rd degree burns on 43% of his body, above the waist, requiring
skin grafting. This was a life-changing experience on many levels.
Mr. Cotton is an avid cyclist and has completed dozens and dozens
of 100 and 200 mile one-day marathon rides throughout California. Fortunately, just completing four
of these events within 30 days of the burn accident left him in
tip-top physical condition and had a direct effect on his recovery.
The rule of thumb for burn injuries, is one day in the hospital for
each percentage of burns; Mr. Cotton was released from the burn ICU
just 21 days after the accident, about ½ of the time based on the
percentage of his burns (43%). Just 90 days from the date of the
accident, Mr. Cotton completed his first 100-mile bicycle ride
post-accident. This injury became an inspiration for Mr. Cotton to
live life to the fullest and be thankful for every moment and get
back to work as a mechanic and further his consulting efforts. One
of the unknown blessings of the burn accident, was becoming
acquainted with the Alicia Ann Ruch Burn Foundation, who coined the
"STOP, DROP AND ROLL", and provide support for burn survivors and
their families. They offer a week-long summer camp in California for children of burn injuries ages
5 to 17, from all over the USA,
known as "Champ-Camp". Mr. Cotton volunteered as a Champ-Camp
counselor for 17 years following his burn accident. This experience
mentoring young burn survivors is one of the most rewarding things
he has ever been involved with. Young burn survivors are often
teased or never feel that they "fit in" because of their burn
scars. This summer camp builds confidence in these amazing kids,
and they become better prepared for their life. Mr. Cotton was
burn-injured as an adult, and children who have been burn injured,
have to have skin grafting and releases almost annually as they
grow, because the burn injured skin and the skin that has been
grafted does not have the same properties as normal skin, and does
not accommodate the child's growth.
Looking into the future, Mr. Cotton will continue to be
intimately involved in an array of rewarding endeavors such as:
mentoring burn survivors, immersing himself in the exhilarating
activities of cycling, rock climbing, and snowboarding (not all at
the same time), as well as embracing the joys of grandparenthood.
Additionally, he aims to use his expertise in elevator-escalator
consulting and serving as an expert witness, to keep his skills
sharp and to contribute to enriching experiences.
Contact: Katherine Green,
516-825-5634, editorialteam@continentalwhoswho.com
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SOURCE The Inner Circle