Elevator Entrapment: A Building Manager’s Step-by-Step Plan

Entrapments are rarely dangerous, but they are always stressful. A clear plan keeps the passenger calm and gets them out quickly — and protects you from liability.

The first five minutes

1. Talk to the passenger through the car phone or door. Reassure them that help is coming.
2. Ask how many people are inside and whether anyone has a medical condition.
3. Call your elevator contractor’s 24/7 line and give the building address and car number.
4. If anyone is unwell, call 911 as well.
5. Never try to open the doors or move the car yourself.

After the rescue

Ask the mechanic for a written explanation of the cause. Recurring door-operator or leveling faults are a sign the equipment needs more than a quick reset.

[rp_bars title=”Most common entrapment causes” suffix=”%”]Door operator faults|41, Power interruptions|22, Controller faults|18, Leveling problems|11, Misuse / overload|8[/rp_bars]

[rp_callout type=”note” title=”Average response times”]Contractors listed on Repairior in major cities report average entrapment response times between 25 and 45 minutes.[/rp_callout]

[rp_businesses category=”elevator-repair” limit=”5″]