Most people involved in property or hospitality management will read about Andrea Pavan’s recent accident in Stellenbosch with a moment of genuine shock, followed quickly by a reassuring thought: that sort of thing could never happen here.

It is an understandable reaction. Most buildings are safe. Modern lifts incorporate multiple mechanical safeguards designed specifically to prevent incidents like this. In normal circumstances, a lift door should not be able to open unless the car is present.

Yet, incidents like this serve as a reminder that risk does not disappear simply because it is unlikely. In many cases, the confidence that something cannot happen is based largely on the fact that it has not happened yet.

Pavan, an Italian professional golfer in South Africa for the South African Open, reportedly opened a lift door at his accommodation and fell approximately three storeys when the lift car was not present. He sustained serious back and shoulder injuries, including vertebral fractures, and required surgery. By his own account, the fact that he is able to walk feels like a miracle.

It’s important to underline that we do not know what the specific reasons were for this particular incident. What we can extract from the event are  the broader questions for anyone responsible for buildings used by staff, residents, guests, or members of the public: When last were the safety-critical systems in your building independently tested and verified as working in reality, not simply recorded as serviced, on paper?

There is a category of risk that tends to become invisible precisely because the equipment involved works reliably most of the time. Lifts, fire doors, balcony railings, electrical installations and similar systems are used every day without incident. Over time, familiarity breeds a quiet assumption that everything must be functioning as intended.

Maintenance visits are scheduled. Contractors sign off on service reports. Documentation is filed.

But the gap between a maintenance record that appears correct and a system that is actually functioning safely can sometimes be wider than building owners or operators realise.