Glossary term
entrapment
A passenger stuck in a lift car between floors or behind closed doors, released only by trained responders.
What it means
Entrapment means someone is inside and the lift will not move or open. It is uncomfortable but the car is a safe place to wait: it is ventilated, it cannot fall, and the doors are locked for a reason. The correct response is to use the alarm or intercom and wait for trained help.
Where you see it
Anywhere in the travel, most often near a floor level after a fault or power cut.
How it works
Release is a controlled procedure: the responder confirms where the car is, isolates the drive, and moves the car to a level floor before opening the doors. Done any other way there is a step or a drop into the shaft.
Alarms are monitored or ring locally depending on the installation, which is why the alarm and intercom are checked as part of maintenance.
Why it matters
Clear signage with the maintenance company's number, and a working alarm, are the two things that shorten every entrapment.
Commonly confused with
Any stopped lift is called an entrapment by users, but the term properly means a person is inside and cannot get out. That difference changes the response time promised in most contracts. A lift stopped empty with the doors open is a breakdown; a lift stopped with someone inside is an emergency call.
Wear, service and lifespan
Entrapment response is a procedure, not a part. Providers keep trained responders and rehearsed rescue instructions, and duty holders keep the emergency number posted where a trapped passenger can read it. Reviewing that number, the alarm and the intercom is part of routine compliance work rather than mechanical maintenance.
Signs to watch for
- The car has stopped and the doors will not open.
- The alarm rings but nobody answers.
- No emergency number is displayed in the car.
- Repeat entrapments at the same floor.
- Passengers report being released by untrained people.
Troubleshooting entrapment
Someone is inside a stopped car
What it usually means: Emergency call, whatever the cause
Safe check: Press the alarm, speak to the person, tell them help is coming and stay with them until it arrives.
The trapped passenger says the doors are part open
What it usually means: The car may be off floor level
Safe check: Tell them clearly not to try to climb out, and pass that detail to the responder.
The alarm rings but nobody answers
What it usually means: The alarm line or its monitoring has failed
Safe check: Call the emergency number yourself and report the alarm line as faulty too.
How to report it
Give the building address, the lift number, the floor the car appears to be at and the number of people inside, including anyone unwell, a child, or a wheelchair user. Never try to open the doors, wind the car, or reach in. Rescue is a trained job with specific equipment.
Ask us about entrapment on your lift
Tick anything you can see or hear from where you normally stand, add a note in your own words, and we will put it into the message below for you. Never open, force or enter any part of the lift to check.
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Tell us what your lift is doing
Send the make, model, error code and what the lift does now. We reply by email and point you to the right help.
Related terms
Definitions that usually come up alongside entrapment when you are describing a fault.
- interlock
A lock and switch combined, so a door cannot be opened unless the car is there and the lift cannot move unless the door is locked.
Safety devices
- landing door
The door in the wall at each floor, locked shut until a lift car is present and level behind it.
Doors and entrances
- lift shaft
The enclosed vertical space the car travels in, including the pit below and the headroom above.
Structure
- emergency stop
A latching switch that cuts the drive immediately and holds the equipment stopped until it is released.
Controls and electrics
- passenger lift
A lift designed and rated to carry people in a building, with landing doors, a car with doors, and a duty rating for continuous use.
Lift types