Stay calm, use the alarm or intercom, and wait for professional rescue. Do not force doors, climb through a gap or open the roof emergency exit; the lift may move suddenly.
What to have ready
Before you start
EMSD advises trapped passengers to stay in contact, follow instructions and wait inside the lift. Building management or the responsible person should promptly notify the registered lift contractor's fault centre for rescue and examination. A useful report identifies the building address, lift number, known stopping floor and passengers' condition. If you do not know the floor, say so rather than guessing. Tell the person receiving the call about injury, fire or immediate danger and seek emergency assistance where necessary. A management employee should not improvise rescue by forcing a landing door.
What to do, step by step
- Press the alarm and use the intercom to report the number trapped and anyone feeling unwell. Keep clear of the doors, avoid jumping or repeated mischievous button presses, and listen for instructions.
- If the intercom does not respond and a phone works, contact management or the contractor number displayed in the lift. Give the full address and lift identifier, and clarify what you actually know about its location.
- For injury, smoke, fire or immediate danger, call 999 and report the location and situation. Continue following rescue instructions and do not attempt to open doors or climb out while waiting.
- Leave only as instructed by the rescue personnel. Afterwards, ask management to record the incident and confirm examination arrangements before the lift resumes service; passengers should not try to restart it themselves.
Costs, timing, and things to check
Do not rely on a promised rescue time for every incident. Access and circumstances differ; maintain contact and report changes in passengers' condition so the response can be updated.
During ordinary use, avoid overloading, striking doors or interfering with closure. Accompany children and keep them away from door edges. Do not use a lift during a fire.
A practical example
A resident can identify lift L2 but not its stopping floor. Through the intercom, they give the building, L2 identifier, one trapped passenger and no current injury. Management contacts the contractor while maintaining communication. The resident neither forces the doors to investigate nor asks a security guard to use improvised tools to pull them out.
Stay inside, maintain contact and do not force an escape.
Official information and enquiries
These are the reference and service entry points for this guide. Check current fees, eligibility, and schedules with the authority. The preparation date is not each source's official update date.