Stuck in an Elevator: What to Do

Is it dangerous to be stuck in a lift?

Usually not. A lift that has stopped between floors is in a safe state: the brake holds the car, and the safety gear is designed to stop it if anything fails. Georgian lift rules in general also require ventilation openings in the car, plus a communication device and emergency lighting that keep working during a power cut.

Most stoppages are caused by a power cut, a door that does not close or lock properly, an overloaded car or a fault that the controller detects. In each case the lift stops on purpose: that is the safety system doing its job. The real risk comes from people trying to get out on their own.

What should I do if the lift gets stuck?

Stay calm, press the alarm button, call for help and wait for a trained technician to release you. Tell whoever you reach the building address, which lift you are in, roughly which floor, how many people are inside and whether anyone needs medical help.

• Press the alarm button — hold it for a few seconds; in most lifts it connects to an intercom or rings a bell in the building.
• Use your phone — call the number on the sign in the car, the building manager or the lift company. Signal can be weak in a shaft, so stand close to the door.
• Make yourself heard — if nobody answers, knock on the door and call out at intervals rather than non-stop.
• Try the door-open button — if the car is level with a floor, it may open the doors. Never force them.
• Wait calmly — sit down if you can, especially with children or older people, and keep talking to each other.

What should I not do?

Do not force the doors, do not climb out through a gap or the roof hatch, and do not jump or rock the car. Even if the doors open between floors, stay inside: the gap into the shaft below is where the most serious lift accidents happen.

• Do not prise the doors open — with your hands, keys or tools. It can damage the locks or let you fall into the shaft.
• Do not climb out — between floors or through the roof hatch, even if the doors open.
• Do not jump, rock or lean on the doors — it will not restart the lift and can trip the safety devices.
• Do not use matches or lighters — if the light goes out, use your phone’s torch.
• Do not accept an amateur rescue — neighbours or passers-by must not open landing doors with tools. Only a trained technician or the rescue services should release passengers.

Who should I call: the lift company or 112?

For an ordinary stoppage, call the lift company or the building manager first: they send a technician who can bring the car safely to a floor. Call 112, Georgia’s single emergency number, if anyone is injured or unwell, if there is smoke or fire, if a child is alone in the car, or if nobody else answers.

WestLift’s service line is +995 558 990 990. Our technical team responds to breakdowns and trapped-passenger calls 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. How fast a technician arrives depends on the building’s maintenance contract; if help is not coming soon and anyone is at risk, call 112 as well.

Someone is stuck in a lift. What should I do from outside?

Talk to the people inside through the door, reassure them and find out how many there are and whether anyone needs medical help. Then call the lift company or the building manager, and 112 if someone is unwell. Do not try to open the landing doors yourself.

Releasing passengers is a technical procedure. Unless you are trained and authorised, do not try to move the car or unlock the doors. Wait at the entrance for the technician and show them the way to the machine room or the controller.

What about a fire or an earthquake?

In a fire or an earthquake, use the stairs, not the lift. If you are in a lift when one starts, get out at the first floor where it stops. If you are trapped, call 112 and tell them you are in a lift.

How can building managers prevent people getting stuck?

Regular preventive maintenance is the most effective prevention: many stoppages start as worn door contacts, misaligned doors or ageing controls that a technician catches on a routine visit. Add a working alarm, emergency lighting, a clearly displayed emergency number and a plan for releasing passengers quickly.

• Maintenance contract — with monthly or more frequent preventive visits. See our service packages.
• Test the alarm and emergency lighting — they must work during a power cut, so check them regularly, not only at inspection time.
• Display the emergency number — in every car, together with the building address, so passengers know who to call.
• A rescue plan — Georgian rules require the owner to organise the timely release of passengers during power cuts and breakdowns. Agree with your lift company who comes and how fast.
• Automatic rescue device — can often be retrofitted to bring the car to the nearest floor and open the doors when the power fails.
• Inspection and upgrades — keep the periodic inspection up to date, and modernize lifts whose controls and doors are worn out.