There are few emergencies that are far worse for a person with a fear of heights, enclosed spaces, or perhaps both, than being trapped in an elevator. If you find yourself trapped between floors of a building (or perhaps reading this article when you're actually stuck in a broken elevator), there are a few things you should do to quickly find your way out. You have to remember: the best you can do is to call and wait for help to arrive, unless you really are in a life-or-death emergency situation. Most attempts to get out of a broken elevator can potentially cost you. To find out how to safely exit a broken elevator, see Step 1 below.
Step
Step 1. Stay calm
You may immediately panic once you realize that you are trapped in a broken elevator. However, you must be determined to act with a cool head, and remain as calm as possible. When panic starts to set in, your body can feel its effects and the situation will only make it harder for you to think clearly and find a way out.
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Try to take deep breaths and relax your body. When your body is relaxed, your mind will not panic easily.
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If you're stuck in an elevator with other people, displaying a panicky attitude tends to make them panic too. If there was more than one panicked person in the elevator, it would be difficult to find a way out. Instead of panicking, try to stay calm as much as possible so you can calm down the people you're stuck with.
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Step 2. When the elevator lights are off and it's dark, look for a light source
You can use a small flashlight from a keychain, or turn on your cell phone or tablet computer. As much as possible, do not turn on the electronic device for a long time so that the battery does not run out quickly. Turning on the light can help you see the keypad on the elevator more clearly, as well as make it easier for you to better assess the situation. If you are not currently trapped in a broken elevator (at the time you are reading this article), take a look at your mobile phone to see if it is equipped with a special “flashlight” feature. If so, this feature will come in handy – as long as you don't use it all the time and it drains your phone's battery!
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In addition, it is important that you immediately see how many people are stuck together in the elevator.
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Step 3. Press the call button on the elevator
If it's dark inside the elevator, look at the call button on the elevator panel with the help of light. Press the button to call a technician outside and ask for help, so building maintenance staff know right away that the building's elevator is in trouble. This is the best and quickest way to ask for help – and certainly much safer than trying to find a way out on your own.
Step 4. If there is no response from outside after you try pressing the call button, try asking for help over the phone
Look at the signal on your cell phone; if applicable, call the emergency number in your area. To call the fire department, dial 113. To call for an ambulance, dial 118. To call the police, dial 110. To call PLN, dial 123. To call the SAR team, dial 115. Meanwhile, to call the natural disaster post, dial 129.
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If you still don't get a response from outside, press the alarm button a few more times.
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Step 5. Press the button you normally use to open the elevator door
Sometimes, this button just gets stuck and the elevator doors open as soon as you press the door button. You'll probably laugh, but you'll be surprised how many people go to great lengths to call for help when the elevator they're in breaks down, before they realize they just need to press a button to open the door.
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In addition to pressing the door release button, you can also try pressing the door closing button, which may also be jammed.
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Try pressing the number pad on the floor of the building below where the elevator stops.
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Step 6. If you can't ask for help, try to attract the attention of people outside the elevator
If you have tried pressing the call button for help, but no one is answering, then the next thing you can do is scream for help. You can bang on the elevator doors with your shoes or other object and then scream so that people outside can hear your screams. Depending on the sound transmission through the elevator door, knocking hard on the elevator door with the key can produce a loud sound that can be heard throughout the elevator hall. Yelling can let other people outside know about your situation being stuck in the elevator; but remember, shouting excessively can make you panic even more. Therefore, you must remain calm when you scream for help.
Step 7. Wait for help to arrive, if you are not in an extreme situation between life and death
Best of all, people will find out that the building's elevator is out of order and the staff will get you out in a few minutes. Most people use elevators frequently and they, especially building maintenance staff, will quickly notice if there is an error in the operation of the building. Shouting for help can indeed help; but if after some time you don't get an answer, stop doing it and wait for help to arrive, instead of having to waste all your remaining energy.
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If you manage to contact the emergency services, remember, they will help you as soon as possible. Calls from trapped people are always taken seriously; they will try to free you in 30 minutes or less.
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You may find it difficult to start a conversation, especially if you're stuck with a bunch of strangers in an elevator. However, keep trying to talk things over with them. Asking about them and what their job is, where they are going today, how many children they have, or anything else, can keep the conversation flowing. Stuck in silence tends to make people panic and discouraged. If necessary, you can dominate the conversation with them. But remember, you should still talk about light topics.
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If you're stuck in an elevator alone, waiting for help can be a little difficult. You can try to keep yourself busy. If you happen to have a book or magazine with you, consider yourself lucky. Instead of draining your phone's battery playing it, try to think of something normal to calm down, like trying to remember all the activities you did today, or remembering all your dinners over the past week. Stay optimistic by thinking about everything you look forward to in the coming week.
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Don't forget to drag or press the "stop" button when you're trying to crawl out of the elevator, to make sure it doesn't move.
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Tips
- If you know that you will be visiting a building that requires you to go up or down an elevator, don't forget to bring your cell phone.
- Do your best to be calm and not to frighten other people out of the blue, if you're stuck with someone else in the elevator. After you've attempted to call for help, sit down and strike up a conversation with the other person who is also stuck in the elevator if you can, to take your mind off the situation for a while.
- You should always have a light snack on hand in your bag to stave off hunger pangs in an urgent situation, even if you don't go to places using elevators.
- Most elevator mechanics agree that you shouldn't try to force an elevator door open if the door is halfway up the floor. There is a lock mechanism on the elevator which prevents the door from being forced open. If the position of the door is not blocked by the floor of the building, you will still find it difficult to get out. Exiting through the emergency exit from inside the elevator was also impossible; because the elevator mechanic needs to open the emergency door from the outside (from the top of the elevator). If you find yourself trapped in an elevator, press the call button and talk to a technician. Then, wait for help to arrive. You can make small talk, use social networks to tell people how much fun your day is, or anything else you can do to pass the time. The fire brigade and elevator mechanic will soon arrive to get you out.
Warning
- In general, staying in an elevator is much safer, because if you try to crawl out into the elevator hall you run the risk of being electrocuted or crushed by something. Stay in the elevator, unless the situation is really dangerous.
- Do not smoke or use matches; You can sound another alarm. Or, in the worst case, you can turn off the elevator function so you can be trapped inside for longer.
