A safety brake actuation mechanism for a hoisted structure comprising: a housing operatively coupled to the hoisted structure; a first brake member (18, 20) coupled to the housing and having a brake surface for frictionally engaging a first surface of a guide rail, the first brake member (18, 20) moveable between a braking position and a non-braking position; a retaining assembly moveable between a first position and a second position and engageable with the first brake member (18, 20), the retaining assembly retaining the first brake member (18, 20) in the non-braking position in the first position and permitting the first brake member (18, 20) to move to the braking position in the second position; and an electric actuator operatively coupled to the retaining assembly and biasing the retaining assembly to the first position in a powered state of the electric actuator, the retaining assembly movable to the second position in a non-powered state of the electric actuator; the safety brake actuation mechanism further comprising a second brake member coupled to the housing and having a brake surface for frictionally engaging a second surface of the guide rail, the second surface an opposing surface relative to the first surface, the second brake member retained by the retaining assembly and moveable between the braking position and the non-braking position; characterized in that the first brake member (18, 20) and the second brake member are angled at less than 90 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the guide rail; and the first brake member (18, 20) and the second brake member are oriented at a non-parallel angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail. a housing operatively coupled to the hoisted structure; a first brake member (18, 20) coupled to the housing and having a brake surface for frictionally engaging a first surface of a guide rail, the first brake member (18, 20) moveable between a braking position and a non-braking position; a retaining assembly moveable between a first position and a second position and engageable with the first brake member (18, 20), the retaining assembly retaining the first brake member (18, 20) in the non-braking position in the first position and permitting the first brake member (18, 20) to move to the braking position in the second position; and an electric actuator operatively coupled to the retaining assembly and biasing the retaining assembly to the first position in a powered state of the electric actuator, the retaining assembly movable to the second position in a non-powered state of the electric actuator; the safety brake actuation mechanism further comprising a second brake member coupled to the housing and having a brake surface for frictionally engaging a second surface of the guide rail, the second surface an opposing surface relative to the first surface, the second brake member retained by the retaining assembly and moveable between the braking position and the non-braking position; characterized in that the first brake member (18, 20) and the second brake member are angled at less than 90 degrees relative to a longitudinal axis of the guide rail; and the first brake member (18, 20) and the second brake member are oriented at a non-parallel angle relative to the longitudinal axis of the guide rail.