A lift that stops between floors is frightening, but it is rarely dangerous. Modern lifts are built to stop and hold when something is wrong, and the safest place to wait is usually inside the car. This guide explains what to do if you are stuck, what a building manager should do, and why it happens in the first place.
Key takeaways
- Stay inside, press the alarm or intercom button, and call for help. Do not force the doors.
- Air keeps moving in a stopped lift. The car is not airtight, even with the doors closed.
- Only a trained lift technician should open the doors or move the car.
- Most entrapments come from door faults, power cuts or a tripped safety circuit, and regular maintenance prevents many of them.
If You Are Inside a Stuck Lift
- Stay calm and stay inside. The car is held by its brake and safety system. Waiting inside is safer than any attempt to get out.
- Press the alarm or intercom button. Hold it for a few seconds. In most buildings it connects to security, reception or the lift company.
- Call for help on your phone. Call building security or the number on the lift notice. If you cannot reach anyone, call us on +971 55 366 2933.
- Tell them where you are. Give the building name, the lift number if there is one, and roughly which floors you are between.
- Try the door open button once. If the car has stopped level with a floor, this sometimes opens the doors. If nothing happens, leave it.
- Call 998 or 999 for a medical emergency. If someone inside feels unwell, has a medical condition or there is smoke, call the UAE emergency services straight away.
What Not to Do
- Do not force the doors open. The car may be far from the landing, and the gap between the car and the shaft wall is a serious fall risk.
- Do not climb out through the ceiling hatch. It is there for technicians working from the car top, not for passengers.
- Do not jump or rock the car. It does not restart the lift and can trip more safety devices.
- Do not let untrained people open the landing doors. Releasing them from outside needs the right key and procedure.
If You Manage the Building
The first few minutes decide how smoothly a rescue goes. Keep this order:
- Talk to the passengers through the intercom or the door. Tell them help is coming and roughly how long it will take.
- Call your lift maintenance company. If you do not have one, call a lift company that offers 24/7 emergency elevator support.
- Call emergency services if anyone is unwell, if there is smoke or fire, or if the passengers are children or elderly people in distress.
- Keep people away from the landing doors on every floor of that lift.
- Do not try to wind the car by hand or open the doors yourself unless your staff are trained for it.
- Record the time, the lift number and what the passengers say. The technician will use it to find the cause.
Need a lift company on call?Save our number with building security. For breakdowns and trapped passengers we aim to be on site within 2 hours.
Call +971 55 366 2933Why Lifts Stop Between Floors
A lift stops when its control system decides it is not safe to keep moving. The most common reasons are:
| Cause | What happens |
|---|---|
| Door faults | A door contact or sensor reports a problem, so the controller stops the car. Dust in door tracks makes this more common in the UAE. |
| Power cut | Without power the brake holds the car. Lifts with a rescue device can move to the nearest floor on battery power. |
| Tripped safety circuit | One of the many safety switches in the shaft or machine room opens and stops the lift. |
| Controller or drive fault | Overheating, worn contacts or electronic faults, often worse in hot machine rooms in summer. |
| Overload | Too much weight in the car. Most lifts refuse to move, but a faulty load sensor can stop a car mid-trip. |
| Hydraulic problems | On hydraulic lifts, low oil, a leak or a valve fault can stop the car. |
After the Rescue
Do not put the lift back into service just because it starts again. A stop between floors means something tripped, and it may trip again with people inside. Ask the technician for a written note of the cause and what was done. If the same lift has stopped before, ask for a full inspection. Our lift repair team checks the fault history in the controller, not only the part that failed this time.
How to Prevent It Happening Again
- Keep the lift under a maintenance contract. Regular servicing of doors, brakes and controllers catches most faults early. Our preventive maintenance checklist shows what each visit should cover.
- Keep the machine room cool. Heat is one of the biggest causes of controller faults in the UAE. Our machine room guide explains what a good room needs.
- Test the alarm and intercom. Passengers rely on them. Check they reach someone who answers, day and night.
- Ask about an automatic rescue device. It brings the car to the nearest floor during a power cut and opens the doors.
- Look at repeat faults. If one lift keeps stopping, repair may not be enough. Ask whether a part upgrade or modernisation makes sense.
If you do not have a maintenance provider yet, see our elevator maintenance contracts for buildings across the UAE. Villa owners can see our home lift maintenance plans.
Stuck Lift FAQs
Is it safe to wait inside a stuck lift?
Yes. The brake and safety system hold the car in place, and air keeps moving through the gaps and vents. Waiting inside is safer than trying to get out.
Can I run out of air in a stuck lift?
No. A lift car is not airtight, so air keeps flowing even with the doors closed.
Can the lift fall if it stops between floors?
Lifts have several independent safety systems, including the brake and the safety gear, that hold the car or stop it if it moves too fast. A free fall is extremely unlikely in a maintained lift.
Who should I call if I am stuck in a lift in Dubai?
Press the alarm button first, then call building security or the number on the lift notice. You can also call EME Elevators on +971 55 366 2933. For a medical emergency or smoke, call 998 or 999.
How long does it take to get someone out of a stuck lift?
It depends on how quickly a technician can reach the building. For breakdowns and trapped passengers, EME technicians aim to be on site within 2 hours.
Should building staff open the lift doors themselves?
Only if they are trained for it. Opening landing doors or moving the car by hand without training puts both passengers and staff at risk.