Getting stuck in a lift can be stressful, and one can start panicking or become anxious. Should you ever find yourself in such a situation, knowing what to do can help calm you down by giving you some control. However, this situation can be rare as Elevator Manufacturers nowadays craft lifts equipped with the latest technology, which really diminishes the chances of being stuck. Regardless, you should be prepared for the unexpected to happen. Keep on reading to learn some tips that can help you navigate and even save your life!
Important steps to follow while being stranded in a lift
First thing First, Have Patience
We know remaining calm when things go south isn’t the most realistic approach, but it is very important! If all of a sudden your elevator stops, you are caught by surprise and suddenly the environment starts feeling closed and claustrophobic. It can be very intimidating to just stand there helpless, but panicking will only make things worse!
It creates an uneasy environment hindering you from thinking clearly. Due to this, you’ll get restless and start hyperventilating, which is definitely not good for you considering there would be a limited oxygen supply in a closed metal box. Plus, in a haste to get out, you’ll probably push all the buttons further causing the commercial lifts to malfunction.
So, take a deep breath, have patience, and think deeply before making any decision. Conserve your energy for the possibility that you may have to be here for some time. Try to meditate a little and have faith that the authorities and safety department will rescue you as soon as possible. After all, they are prepared and qualified for such emergencies so they would know the best approach to tackle this situation.
Try to Communicate
Once you’re a little relaxed, (or at least as relaxed one can be in such a situation to think clearly) now’s the time to start looking at your options. Carefully observe all the buttons and dials on your elevator and understand what their function is. The first thing to do is to look for a way to talk to someone on the outside.
Since your phone is most likely to be out of coverage area, you can try pressing the intercom button or use the phone inside the lift if provided. All Modern residential, as well as commercial lifts, have at least one of these built-in communication systems to interact with someone responsible for elevator function and security. This could help you explain your current location to the authorities and give them more insight into how the elevator malfunctioned, so they can resolve the issue quickly.
Alarm Button
To make their lifts secure, every Lift Manufacturing Company has both a communication system and an alarm button. Sometimes you are new to a building and are not sure which lift you took out of the many installed there, or perhaps you were not aware of which floor was it on while it stopped, or in the worst case scenario, the communication system is not working or there’s no response from the control room. This is when the Alarm button comes in handy.
Pressing the alarm button sends out an alert to everyone that you are stuck in the lift. This very handy feature comes in every modern elevator and is generally connected to an alarm, often placed on top of the lift to conveniently track the location of the car wherever it is stuck. If you live in a home building, you may need to press the alarm button multiple times as there are a lot of residential lifts in buildings so it may take some time to accurately locate you and provide you with the help you need.
Do Not Force The Doors To Open
Whatever happens, remember to not make any decisions in haste, especially ones that can be life-threatening. You may feel like you can try to open the door with your hands, but PLEASE DO NOT DO THAT.
First of all, modern elevators are very heavy and made of commercial-grade materials, so it is not going to be easy to open them Even if you try, you may severely bruise your hands and even fall and hit your head if you apply too much pressure. This would do nothing, apart from making a bad situation worse! Remember you don’t want to end up in a state where you need medical attention as that may not be possible for some time inside a lift.
Moreover, forcefully opening the door of the lift can be dangerous as you wouldn’t know where the lift is standing right now. This can lead to falling from the elevator and may cause some serious injuries.
You can also unintentionally sow the seeds of a prolonged malfunction, as applying pressure on the lift can damage the lift’s working, making it non-functional for a long time.
Trust The Process.
All in all, remember that you’re inside a secure building with safety provisions already present, and a lift is not a small structure that nobody will find out what happened to it. So even if you’re unable to make contact with someone outside, have faith that sooner or later, people will realize something is wrong and they’ll come for you.
Exclude every negative thought from your mind and believe in yourself that you will be out of this situation. Have trust in technicians and their skills. They are trained to handle these types of emergencies. So, avoid fixing the problem by yourself; it can be dangerous or may worsen the situation.
To minimize such risks altogether, collaborate with IEE Lifts- the leading Lift Manufacturing Company in the nation that puts your safety first! Not only do we manufacture elevators with minimum resistance and risks, but also ensure you get out of our lifts safely with our hi-tech smart safety solutions.
