Guide · 20 October 2026 · 5 minute read
Power cuts and lifts: what really happens when the light goes
Most trapped passengers in Lagos are not victims of a broken lift. They are victims of a few seconds without power.
Why the car stops
A lift controller is designed to stop safely the moment power is lost. The brake drops, the car holds its position, and the doors stay locked. That is the right behaviour, but it can leave a car between floors.
When the generator starts, many controllers need a few seconds to check themselves, and some need a manual reset. If the changeover is rough, with voltage spikes or a phase missing, the controller may refuse to run at all.
What a rescue device does
An automatic rescue device sits beside the controller with its own battery. When it senses the supply has gone, it waits a moment, then drives the car slowly to the nearest floor and opens the doors. Passengers step out, usually within a minute.
It does not need the generator, and it works at night when there may be nobody at the gate. We test the battery every quarter on Comprehensive and every month on Critical care.
Getting the changeover right
Ask your electrician to check that the changeover switch does not connect the generator before the grid is fully off, and that all three phases arrive together. A phase failure relay in the lift supply protects the motor.
If your generator is small, start the lifts last, after pumps and air conditioning have settled. A sudden lift start on a small generator can cause the voltage to sag and trip other equipment.
If someone is trapped
Call the rescue line, talk to the person inside and do not open the doors yourself. Our engineers are trained to move the car by hand to a floor and release the doors safely.
Checklist
In short
- Lifts stop on purpose when power drops
- A rescue device brings the car to a floor on battery
- Check your changeover for spikes and missing phases
- Never prise lift doors open
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