Elevator Emergency: Passenger Dos & Don’ts 

Every November, the building transportation industry raises awareness for safety on elevator and escalator equipment during Elevator and Escalator Safety Week. In honor of this coming awareness month, we want to review some of the things riders should and shouldn’t do in case of an emergency, such as a power outage or other disaster. 

Take a glance at our dos and don’ts of riding a passenger elevator in case of an emergency. 

What Passengers Should Do 

Remain Calm

One of the most important things to do in an emergency is to remain as calm as possible. Try not to let panic take the wheel, as it will make decision-making more challenging and will add to the stress of the moment. Try to keep others around you calm, including children who may not understand what is going on. 

Use Elevator Safety Features 

Once you have determined that there is an emergency that is impacting the functionality of the elevator, use the safety features to contact authorities, such as the emergency call button, emergency phone, or intercom. Be sure to identify your address, how many people are in the elevator and what floor you were coming from and going to. 

Should your phone have a signal, you can also use this to contact outside help, but be aware that they will need specifics of your building’s location. 

Move to the Back of the Elevator 

When emergency services arrive to help, it is best to stay near the back of the passenger car and face forward, allowing the team to assist without fear of having a passenger in the way. 

Trust the Professionals 

Emergency services have experience in helping people in all sorts of situations. Your elevator is very safe and will either begin moving when the power is restored or when services are repaired. Trust the professionals who know the equipment and are prepared to assist you. 

What Passengers Should NOT Do 

Emergencies on elevators are rare, but for some reason, they are often the subject of sitcoms or horror shows. Passengers should not use those examples as guidelines for what to do in an emergency. For example, while every action movie would have you believing that passengers should escape through some hidden hatch, that is not safe or advisable. 

Do NOT Try to Escape 

Staying calm is top of the order once emergency crews have been notified. Do not attempt to get out of the elevator on your own by either opening the doors or any hatch that may be used by professionals. 

Do NOT Tamper With Controls 

It may be tempting to start touching the elevator buttons to see if you can get them to start working, but this is also not advisable. Talk to the other people in the car and try to remain upbeat without touching the controls that could be counterintuitive to emergency services trying to help the situation. 

Should emergency services tell you to touch the controls, then by all means do so. 

Emergencies on elevators are rare but do happen on occasion. Try to remain calm and contact the authorities, who will be on scene to assist as soon as possible. A well-maintained elevator, like Buckley elevators, has an excellent track record. Contact Buckley Elevator today for ideas on how to upgrade your elevator and keep it in good working condition.