What To Do When Trapped In An Elevator

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For many of us, riding in elevators is a daily occurrence. We step in, press the button for our floor, then step out again when the door opens without giving the ride a second thought. But like any machine, elevators don’t always work as intended. If the elevator doors won’t open, it’s important to know what to do.

 

Stay Calm

 

Remaining calm is the best way to stay safe when you’re stuck in an elevator. It might ease your mind to peak at the safety inspection certificate. Every elevator undergoes regular inspections to ensure your safety. The results of that inspection should be signed, dated, and posted inside the elevator car for you to read.

 

Press The Door Open Button

 

If you get trapped in an elevator, sometimes a quick press of the Door Open button is all it takes to free yourself. If the doors open and you’re between floors, DO NOT try to climb or crawl out. The elevator could start moving again and cause a medical emergency.

 

Similarly, you should NEVER try prying open the doors. You’re safe inside the elevator itself. Multiple fail-safes ensure that you’ll never go into a free fall. But if you try to force your way out of an elevator, accidents can happen.

 

 

Use The Emergency Phone

 

Every elevator should be equipped with an emergency call button or phone. When you press the call button or pick up the receiver, you’ll be connected to an elevator monitoring company.

 

The operator on the other end will ask you a few questions to determine how they can best assist you.

 

They’ll probably ask you to try the Door Open button again. Humor them and try it again. When it doesn’t work, the operator may be able to open the doors remotely for you. If not, they’ll send someone out to your location as soon as possible.

 

At that point, all you can do is wait. Although help should arrive before you know it, you may want to conserve your cell phone battery, just in case. You can enable airplane mode if you’re running especially low. Just know that doing so will make it impossible to make calls or connect to the internet from the phone.

 

 

Remember That You’re Safe

 

While you wait for help to arrive, it’s important to remember that you are still perfectly safe. Elevator companies go to great lengths to ensure that their passengers are always safe inside. Sure, you may be late for work or your next appointment. But lots of people get trapped inside elevators every year and it’s usually nothing more than a mild inconvenience.

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