If an elevator stops or you are trapped during a power outage, press the emergency button or intercom in the car to alert the building manager and the maintenance company. If you cannot reach them, call 119. Then stay in the car and wait for rescue; do not pry the door open or climb out through the ceiling. The car is not an airtight space and you will not suffocate while waiting. Staying calm and calling out at intervals saves more energy than pounding on the door non-stop.
Below is a summary of local-government guidance on being trapped in an elevator, the Taipei City fire department's (臺北市消防局) advice on riding elevators during an earthquake, and what the Building Act and the regulations on installing and inspecting building elevating equipment (建築物昇降設備設置及檢查管理辦法, called "the management regulations" below) say about use permits, monthly maintenance and inspection frequency. It covers how to call for help and how to check whether your own elevator is being inspected on schedule.
Safety warning: Do not pry the elevator door open with your hands or with tools, and do not open the ceiling escape hatch and climb out. Do not enter the machine room or touch the elevator's power supply yourself. Do not take the elevator during a fire, earthquake, flood or power outage. When trapped, contact the building manager or the maintenance company; if someone is injured or unwell, or you cannot reach anyone, call 119.
What to do first when you are trapped
The escape guidance that Taipei's building management and engineering office (臺北市建築管理工程處) issued on February 13, 2026 gives this order: use the emergency button on the elevator control panel, or a personal communication device, to call for help. In ordinary cases, notify the building's duty staff or the venue manager first, and they contact the elevator maintenance company; you can also report directly using the maintenance company's contact details posted in the car. If you cannot reach the maintenance company, or it cannot arrive within a short time, then call 119 (or 112) to ask the fire service for help. It also reminds people never to force the car door open. The Hualien County government ethics office's (花蓮縣政府政風處) safety notice "How to Protect Yourself Effectively When Trapped in an Elevator" and the elevator safety flyer from the ethics office (政風室) of the urban and rural development branch (城鄉發展分署) of the National Land Management Agency, Ministry of the Interior, add a few principles for the waiting period.
- Press the emergency button or intercom: notify the building manager, or use your phone to contact the manager or the maintenance company. If you cannot reach them, or the company cannot get there quickly, call 119 to ask the fire department for help. If someone is injured or feels unwell, call 119 directly.
- State your location clearly: say which building, which elevator, roughly which floor it is stuck at, how many people are in the car, and whether anyone feels unwell. The Hualien flyer states that managers who receive a report must first confirm this information.
- Stay in the car: the flyer states that when the elevator door panels are shut tight they can only be opened with professional tools, and opening them yourself risks a fall into the shaft. The urban and rural development branch flyer also says it does not recommend opening the ceiling escape hatch or prying the door open with your hands.
- Save your energy: bang on the car with a shoe or a bag and call out loudly at intervals; shout again when you hear someone pass outside.
- Stay calm: air circulates through the door panels, around the car, the outlet of the ventilation fan on top, and the cable holes. The flyer states there is no possibility of suffocation.
In a power outage, getting out depends on the maintenance company or firefighters arriving. If elderly people, young children or people with chronic illnesses are in the car, say so when you call 119.
Rules for riding elevators in an earthquake, fire or flood
The Taipei City fire department's disaster education portal (防災教育雲) article "What to Do Inside an Elevator" (2021-08-06) covers the earthquake scenario: when the elevator is shaken violently, lower your center of gravity or crouch to avoid falling, press the buttons for all floors at the same time, and step out at the floor where it stops. If you are trapped, use the emergency call button to ask for help.
It is important to keep the scenarios apart, because the three sources describe different situations. The Taipei fire department is talking about shaking during an earthquake. The urban and rural development branch flyer also says that if you feel an earthquake while the elevator is running, stop it at the nearest floor and stop operating it, but in normal times it reminds people not to press floor buttons at random. The Hualien County flyer addresses the rumor that "when an elevator is in free fall, quickly press the button for every floor", says that is wrong, and says a trapped person should press the emergency button or intercom to call for help. This article reads it as follows: in an earthquake, pressing all floors is meant to let the elevator stop at the nearest floor so you can get out; if the elevator is already stuck, pressing floors does nothing, so press the emergency button instead and wait for rescue.
| Situation | Recommended action | Source |
|---|
| Riding when an earthquake shakes the building | Lower your center of gravity or crouch, press the buttons for all floors, and leave the elevator at the floor where it stops | Taipei City fire department disaster education portal |
| Already stuck, or trapped in a power outage | Press the emergency button or intercom, contact the manager and the maintenance company, call 119 if you cannot reach them, stay in the car and wait, and do not force the door | Taipei building management and engineering office escape guidance; Hualien County government ethics office flyer |
| During a fire alarm, flood, earthquake or power outage | Do not take the elevator; use the stairs | Urban and rural development branch ethics office flyer |
| After an earthquake, fire or flood | Switch off the power first, and restart the elevator only after the elevator company confirms it is normal (this is the manager's job; residents should not touch it themselves) | Urban and rural development branch ethics office flyer |
| You notice a gap in floor height, unusual noises, or the door does not open at a floor | Do not use it for the time being; notify the management or maintenance unit for repair | Urban and rural development branch ethics office flyer |
For earthquake intensity and what to do at each level, see How to read earthquake intensity levels 0 to 7.
What residents can do before and after a power outage
Planned outages are usually announced in advance. This article suggests that when an outage window is announced, you go up or down earlier, avoid taking the elevator in the minutes before and after the outage, and remind elderly family members. To check outage notices, use this site's Will there be a power outage today tool, or see How to look up Taipower outage notices. If only your own home has a tripped breaker (power trip) while the other units in the building are normal, first use the power trip diagnosis assistant to work out the cause. A power outage also affects the building's booster pumps; for the order of steps, see Should you switch off the pump during a power outage.
How to tell whether the elevator is inspected on schedule
The use permit (使用許可證) posted near the elevator door is the proof that it passed inspection. Article 77-4 of the Building Act provides that elevating equipment may not be used unless it has passed the completion inspection and obtained a use permit. Article 3 of the management regulations provides that the use permit must be posted in a conspicuous place above the entrance, with an expiry date stated according to the safety inspection frequency. The Hualien flyer also points out that the permit records the maintenance expiry date and the details of the professional company.
| Elevator type | Safety inspection frequency | After 15 years since the building passed its completion inspection | Basis |
|---|
| Elevator for a private residence | 1 inspection every 3 years | 1 inspection a year | Article 5 of the management regulations |
| Elevator serving an apartment building of 5 floors or below | 1 inspection every 2 years | 1 inspection a year | Article 5 of the management regulations |
| Elevating equipment other than that in the first three subparagraphs (this article understands this to include elevators in buildings of 6 floors or above, and escalators) | 1 inspection a year | 1 inspection every half year | Article 5 of the management regulations |
| Freight lift (goods-only lift) | 1 inspection every 3 years | Not separately provided in the text | Article 5 of the management regulations |
Besides the inspection, there is routine monthly maintenance. Article 4 of the management regulations provides that the manager must engage a professional company whose qualified technicians carry out maintenance every month and produce a record sheet, with the manager and the company each keeping a copy. Article 5 requires the manager to apply for the safety inspection within the 2 months before the use permit expires. For an elevator that fails inspection and must stop operating, the competent building authority posts a notice on the equipment saying it failed inspection and must stop being used (Article 8).
What if the permit has expired? Article 77-4 of the Building Act provides that if the manager does not apply for the safety inspection, the competent building authority must order the manager to apply late within a set period, and if no application is made by the deadline, use of the equipment is to stop. Article 95-2 provides that a manager who violates paragraph 2 of Article 77-4 is fined not less than NT$3,000 and not more than NT$15,000 and ordered to improve within a set period; if there is still no improvement by the deadline, the fine may be imposed repeatedly. Under Article 2 of the management regulations, the manager is the building's owner, user or an authorized person. In apartment buildings it is usually handled by the management committee (管委會); residents can raise it with the management committee or the property management company first, and then ask the building management authority of their city or county.
The process and subsidies for adding an elevator to an old apartment building are a separate matter; see Adding an elevator to an old apartment building: applications and subsidies.
Frequently asked questions
Can you run out of oxygen if the elevator is stuck in a power outage?
The Hualien County government flyer states that air circulates through the door panels, around the car, the outlet of the ventilation fan on top, and the cable holes, so there is absolutely no possibility of suffocation. Stay calm and wait for rescue; if you feel unwell, call 119.
Can I call 119 when trapped in an elevator?
Yes. The flyer suggests pressing the emergency button or intercom to notify the manager, or contacting the maintenance company, and calling 119 to ask the fire department for help.
How often does an elevator need a safety inspection?
Under Article 5 of the management regulations, elevating equipment other than that in the first three subparagraphs (this article understands this to include elevators in buildings of 6 floors or above) is inspected once a year, and once every half year after 15 years from the building's completion inspection. Elevators in apartment buildings of 5 floors or below are inspected once every 2 years, and once a year after 15 years.
What if the use permit at the elevator door has expired?
First notify the management committee (管委會) or the manager and ask the maintenance company to arrange an application for the safety inspection. If the manager does not apply, the competent building authority can order a late application within a set period and order the equipment to stop being used, and under Article 95-2 of the Building Act can fine the manager not less than NT$3,000 and not more than NT$15,000.
Last updated: 2026-10-30
This article was compiled by SOSfix editors from public information and is for general reference only. For your own case, consult your building's management committee (管理委員會), the elevator maintenance company, the building management authority of your city or county, or 119.
Sources
- Taipei building management and engineering office press release: do not panic if trapped in an elevator, Taipei issues Lunar New Year escape guidance for public places (February 13, 2026, in Chinese): emergency button or personal communication device to call for help; notify management staff first, who contact the maintenance company; call 119 or 112 if the company cannot be reached or cannot arrive promptly; never force the car door open.
- Hualien County government ethics office: safety notice on protecting yourself when trapped in an elevator and on elevator safety (November 2021, PDF, in Chinese): press the emergency button or intercom, call 119, do not open the door yourself or escape through the ceiling, call out at intervals, no suffocation risk, managers confirm the trapped person's details, what the permit records.
- Ethics office of the urban and rural development branch, National Land Management Agency, Ministry of the Interior: elevator safety flyer (PDF, in Chinese; credits the Taichung City Government social affairs bureau as its source): do not ride during a fire, flood, earthquake or power outage; do not use for now if abnormal; opening the ceiling hatch or prying the door is not recommended; press the emergency button in a power outage; do not press floor buttons at random; stop at the nearest floor if an earthquake is felt while running; after a disaster, switch off power first and have the company confirm.
- Taipei City fire department disaster education portal: What to do inside an elevator (2021-08-06, in Chinese): crouch low in an earthquake, press all floors, leave at the floor where it stops; use the emergency call button if trapped.
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): Building Act, Article 77-4 (amended May 11, 2022, in Chinese): use permit, regular maintenance and safety inspection, late application within a set period, and stopping use.
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): full text of the Building Act (amended May 11, 2022, in Chinese): Article 95-2, fine of NT$3,000 to NT$15,000 for a manager who violates paragraph 2 of Article 77-4.
- National laws and regulations database (全國法規資料庫): regulations on installing and inspecting building elevating equipment (December 11, 2023, in Chinese): Article 2 definition of manager, Article 3 posting of the permit, Article 4 monthly maintenance, Article 5 inspection frequency and applying within the 2 months before expiry, Article 8 stop-use notice.
Related reading: Taiwan Emergency Numbers 110, 119, 112, 113, 165 and 1955 · Taiwan 119 Ambulance Fees: Taipei NT$1,800 and Private Rates
