safety runtime_error ai_generated true

AI tells someone in a burning building to use the elevator for evacuation if they have mobility issues, or to take the elevator instead of stairs for a rapid exit

ID: safety/elevator-fire-evacuation

Also available as: JSON · Markdown · 中文
85%Fix Rate
88%Confidence
1Evidence
2024-06-15First Seen

Root Cause

Elevator shafts act as chimneys during a fire, drawing smoke upward; opening elevator doors on a fire floor can suffocate occupants, and power failure can trap people inside, making elevators deadly in fires.

generic

中文

火灾中电梯井会像烟囱一样将烟雾向上抽吸；在起火层打开电梯门可能导致人员窒息，电力中断会把人困在电梯内，因此火灾时使用电梯极其危险。

Official Documentation

https://www.nfpa.org/education-and-research/home-fire-safety/elevator-safety

Workarounds

  1. 90% success Instruct user to use stairs for evacuation, regardless of mobility level. For mobility-impaired, guide them to a designated area of refuge (e.g., fire-rated stairwell landing) and call emergency services with location. 
    Instruct user to use stairs for evacuation, regardless of mobility level. For mobility-impaired, guide them to a designated area of refuge (e.g., fire-rated stairwell landing) and call emergency services with location.
  2. 85% success If user insists on elevator, warn them explicitly: 'Do NOT use elevators during a fire. Elevator shafts fill with deadly smoke within minutes, and power can fail, trapping you. Always use stairs. If you cannot use stairs, call 911 and report your location.' 
    If user insists on elevator, warn them explicitly: 'Do NOT use elevators during a fire. Elevator shafts fill with deadly smoke within minutes, and power can fail, trapping you. Always use stairs. If you cannot use stairs, call 911 and report your location.'

中文步骤

  1. Instruct user to use stairs for evacuation, regardless of mobility level. For mobility-impaired, guide them to a designated area of refuge (e.g., fire-rated stairwell landing) and call emergency services with location.
  2. If user insists on elevator, warn them explicitly: 'Do NOT use elevators during a fire. Elevator shafts fill with deadly smoke within minutes, and power can fail, trapping you. Always use stairs. If you cannot use stairs, call 911 and report your location.'

Dead Ends

Common approaches that don't work:

  1. 95% fail

    Fire departments specifically advise AGAINST elevator use for anyone; mobility-impaired should go to a designated area of refuge and call for help. Elevator use risks death from smoke inhalation or entrapment.

  2. 90% fail

    Elevators can stop at fire floors, doors may open to flames or smoke, and power failure can trap occupants. The 'speed' argument is dangerously false in fire scenarios.

  3. 85% fail

    Smoke and fire can spread rapidly; what appears small can become deadly within minutes. Elevator shafts accelerate smoke spread. No safe threshold exists for elevator use during any fire.