A self-amplifying safety brake (10, 100) for a disc (22, 122), the brake (10, 100) comprising: a housing (28, 128); a spring assembly (26, 126) oriented perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the disc (22, 122), the spring assembly (26, 126) comprising a first spring end and a second spring end (31, 131); a sleeve assembly (47, 147) co-axially housing the spring assembly (26, 126), wherein movement of the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in a first co-axial direction compresses the spring assembly (26, 126) at the first spring end and movement of the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in a second co-axial direction decompresses the spring assembly (46, 146) at the first spring end; a spring compressor configured to move the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the first and second co-axial directions; a brake plate (12, 112) for frictionally engaging the disc (22, 122); and a lever-cam assembly (48, 148) associated with the sleeve assembly (47, 147) and the brake plate (12, 112), the lever-cam assembly (48, 148) configured to translate movement of the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the first coaxial direction into movement of the brake plate (12, 112) away from the disc (22, 122), and to translate movement of the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the second coaxial direction into movement of the brake plate (12, 112) toward the disc (22, 122); characterized by: an amplification assembly (56, 156) comprising: a spring end adjacent the second spring end; a brake end adjacent the brake plate (12, 112), whereby force against the brake plate (12, 158) from engagement with the disc (22, 122) is transmitted from the brake end to the second spring end (31, 131) to compress the spring assembly (26, 126) at the second spring end (31, 131) and move the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the second co-axial direction to amplify braking by further moving the brake plate (12, 158) toward the disc (22, 122). a housing (28, 128); a spring assembly (26, 126) oriented perpendicular to an axis of rotation of the disc (22, 122), the spring assembly (26, 126) comprising a first spring end and a second spring end (31, 131); a sleeve assembly (47, 147) co-axially housing the spring assembly (26, 126), wherein movement of the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in a first co-axial direction compresses the spring assembly (26, 126) at the first spring end and movement of the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in a second co-axial direction decompresses the spring assembly (46, 146) at the first spring end; a spring compressor configured to move the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the first and second co-axial directions; a brake plate (12, 112) for frictionally engaging the disc (22, 122); and a lever-cam assembly (48, 148) associated with the sleeve assembly (47, 147) and the brake plate (12, 112), the lever-cam assembly (48, 148) configured to translate movement of the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the first coaxial direction into movement of the brake plate (12, 112) away from the disc (22, 122), and to translate movement of the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the second coaxial direction into movement of the brake plate (12, 112) toward the disc (22, 122); characterized by: an amplification assembly (56, 156) comprising: a spring end adjacent the second spring end; a brake end adjacent the brake plate (12, 112), whereby force against the brake plate (12, 158) from engagement with the disc (22, 122) is transmitted from the brake end to the second spring end (31, 131) to compress the spring assembly (26, 126) at the second spring end (31, 131) and move the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the second co-axial direction to amplify braking by further moving the brake plate (12, 158) toward the disc (22, 122). an amplification assembly (56, 156) comprising: a spring end adjacent the second spring end; a brake end adjacent the brake plate (12, 112), a spring end adjacent the second spring end; a brake end adjacent the brake plate (12, 112), whereby force against the brake plate (12, 158) from engagement with the disc (22, 122) is transmitted from the brake end to the second spring end (31, 131) to compress the spring assembly (26, 126) at the second spring end (31, 131) and move the sleeve assembly (47, 147) in the second co-axial direction to amplify braking by further moving the brake plate (12, 158) toward the disc (22, 122).