Need help right now?
If someone needs immediate help with trapped in elevator, use emergency mode.
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DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You are stuck inside an elevator that stopped between floors, will not move, or lost power.
The essentials if you need to act right now.
Press alarm. Use intercom. Stay inside. Do not force doors. Wait for help.
What might I see? Observable signs — no diagnosis required.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Cab stopped between floors with doors closed.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Lights dimmed, fan stopped, or display blank.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Alarm button rings but no immediate response.
Optional deeper explanation — not required to act.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Elevators stop for power loss, safety sensor triggers, or mechanical faults. The cab is designed as a secure box within the shaft.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Forcing doors open exposes the shaft gap — a leading cause of elevator fatalities.
Check the scene before you approach.
Civilian-safe actions you can take.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Press alarm button firmly — hold for several seconds.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Use intercom: state floor approximations, number of people, any medical issues.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Tell others in cab to sit and stay calm.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Loosen tight collars. Share water if available among occupants.
When and how to get professional help.
Call for technician rescue if intercom fails, medical distress occurs, or wait exceeds 30 minutes.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Stay in cab and communicate. Only trained elevator technicians should perform extrication.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Use intercom first — building staff or elevator company responds fastest.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If no response in 30 minutes, call 112 — say elevator entrapment, building address, floor estimate.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Give number of people and any medical conditions.
Dangerous actions, when not to attempt rescue, and common myths.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT pry doors open with tools or fingers.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT climb through ceiling hatch unless directed by fire department.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT attempt to exit between floors onto the shaft ledge.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do NOT light fires for light or warmth in the cab.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — You should climb out through the ceiling hatch when stuck
Other scenarios in the same family.
Collapse nearby
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A building or structure is failing or has collapsed near where you are standing — you are outside but close to danger.
Bridge collapse
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A bridge, overpass, or elevated roadway has collapsed — with vehicles or people on or below it.
Construction accident
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A structural failure, fall, or collapse has occurred on a construction site — scaffolding, trench, or partial building.
Floor collapse
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — A floor, mezzanine, or elevated platform has collapsed — dropping people to the level below or into a void.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If intercom dead, use phone to call building number posted in cab.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Do not jump or stomp — it does not help and wastes energy.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — If someone feels faint, lay them down inside cab and report medical need.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Fire department or elevator technician performs rescue — not occupants.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Seek medical care if chest pain, panic attack, or heat exhaustion occurred during wait.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Hatches open into the shaft where moving counterweights and other cabs pose lethal danger. Stay in the cab unless fire department directs otherwise.
DEVELOPMENT FIXTURE — Fall into shaft or strike by counterweight.