Ammon – It may happen that the elevator breaks down while you are inside it, whether this malfunction is for technical reasons, or due to a power outage, especially during the period of load reduction witnessed by some countries, which may endanger the person and those with him.
The importance of psychological balance and good behavior in such cases must be understood, and Major General Ihab Youssef, an expert in security risks, confirms that calmness and awareness play a major role in overcoming these circumstances safely.
Youssef adds that it is very important to know the type of elevator used, as there are modern elevators that are sealed and poorly ventilated, and there are older ones that consist of large parts of wood, and their ventilation is good.
The security risk expert explains the most important steps that must be taken to avoid losses when elevators fail:
• Controlling the psychological state, asking for help and staying calm, and conveying a sense of reassurance to those around you.
• Deaths occur in a large percentage due to lack of awareness and excessive stress, which may affect breathing, oxygen levels, and heart efficiency.
• Securing people inside the elevator and asking for help, and not approaching the door because it might open suddenly.
• Moments pass heavy on the person in these cases, and the certainty of the occurrence of assistance increases reassurance, and these matters are also related to the extent of confidence in the system entrusted with resolving such crises.
• Modern, tightly closed elevators are more dangerous in the event of a breakdown, but they contain an electronic system that connects the elevator to the nearest floor automatically when the power is cut off.
• In the old elevators, the ventilation is good, but there is no electronic system to connect the elevator to the nearest floor in the event of a power outage, but it is assumed that there is a button inside the elevator to alert those in the building to the occurrence of a problem.
• When using the alarm button in the old elevators, the person in charge of the elevator must use a manual system to deliver the elevator to the nearest floor to the bottom, open the door and exit after that, and the elevator operator must be trained in that.
• The elevators in the buildings must be followed up to ensure their efficiency, and to make sure that there are special buttons for calling when a problem occurs in the elevator, and this button is audible.
• The municipality system as well as the civil defense must pass through the elevators and ensure their periodic maintenance, and make sure of the condition of their cables, because the average person often cannot know the efficiency of the elevator, because it is judged by the general appearance, which is not evidence of efficiency. Looks good, but the cables are weak.
• The media, especially the government, should clarify the procedures that are supposed to be followed in such cases, using short explanatory films targeting youth, children and the elderly, and showing the correct behavior in such cases.
Major General Ehab Youssef, a security risk expert, stresses the importance of having a party responsible for managing similar risks, such as elevator breakdowns, electricity cuts, earthquakes, etc., and its role is to manage these emergency situations and get out of them with minimal losses.
Sky News Arabia
