The damage caused by earthquakes has led the Japanese government to consider installing toilets and providing drinking water in elevators. The suggestion comes after dozens of people were trapped in elevators across Tokyo after a 7.8 magnitude quake hit the city on Saturday.
Normally elevators will automatically stop at the nearest floor when earthquakes strike—the doors will open allowing passengers to escape. But after Saturday’s quake, fourteen elevators became stuck between floors trapping some passengers for over an hour.
A meeting between officials from the infrastructure ministry and elevator industry members agreed to consider providing toilets for such emergencies. Suggestions include collapsible cardboard toilets with a waterproof bag or absorbent material inside.
As many of Japan’s latest elevators include seating areas for the elderly, intstalling such emergency facilities underneath seats is a possibility. Japan has about 620,000 elevators in its buildings, of which 20% are in Tokyo.
Nicholas White knows exactly what it’s like to be caught short in such an extreme situation. On 15th October 1999, Mr. White popped out of his office at the McGraw-Hill Building, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, New York, for a cigarette break. On his return, he became trapped in an elevator after a power dip caused the elevator to stop between the 13th and 14th floors. Despite signaling his distress to the onboard surveillance camera, security staff did not notice Mr. White’s predicament until the afternoon of the 17th, almost 41 hours later. (And these eagle-eyed guys were in charge of security?) During his accidental incarceration, Mr. White relieved himself by urinating through the elevator doors—he hoped someone might notice the stream of fluid running down the elevator shaft—apparently no one did.
So, Japan’s neat idea for bringing relief to a nightmare situation is not as strange as it sounds, though one hopes it won’t be misused as the following comic video suggests…