Stuck in a NYC elevator? Stay put to avoid gruesome accidents

Elevator accidents too often occur when passengers try to save themselves instead of waiting in the elevator cabin for help to come. Nobody wants to be stuck in an elevator but if it happens do not try to escape by yourself you might end up badly injured or even dead.  The Department of Buildings just released a YouTube video explaining what to do if you get stuck in a elevator.

Concerned by your elevator safety? Call 311

In New York every year 45 million elevator trips are being completed in the 90,000 elevators installed in the city.  Building owners are responsible to make sure the elevator is working proprely. If you are concerned by the safety on an elevator, contact the landlord and call 311 to report the issue. The DOB will usually send an inspector in the next 24h. If work is required on the elevator a notice must be posted 10 days prior to the work.

If the inspector dispatched to a location where an elevator is not working proprely finds safety violations, the building owner will receive an ECB summons to correct the violation within the next 10 days. An inspector will return 10 days later to check on the elevator. If the the violation is not addressed another violation is issued to the building owner and he might also be subject to a criminal court summons.

Stuck in an elevator? Be patient, don’t risk your life

If you are stuck in an elevator, please do not try to escape by yourself! The safest option is to stay in the cabin and press the help button. You will be connected to a live operator who will dispatch a mechanic. In New York the average time to fix a stuck elevator is 10 minutes. Do not panic, the elevator will not fall, there are safety mechanisms that prevent the cabin from falling when an elevator gets stuck mid trip. Do not try to recue yourself at any time. .