WHEN A BREATH OF LIFE BECOMES A STORM

When a Simple Incident Turns Into a Major Crisis: The Case of the Sapphire Hotel Elevator

An Ordinary Day, an Unexpected Incident

On Monday at 3:12 p.m., the Sapphire Hotel—a four-star establishment renowned for its tranquillity and comfort—had its routine disrupted by what seemed like a minor event: an elevator suddenly stopped between two floors. Inside the elevator were a pregnant woman, an elderly person, and a young child.

Lives at Risk, a Failing Response System. The emergency call system works, but rescue takes more than 30 minutes to respond. The woman says her water has broken, the child cries in panic, and the elderly person screams for help. No immediate procedure is triggered by staff, who ignore the response sheets designed for this kind of incident. Understandably, elevators aren’t expected to target guests...

Information Approximation The security manager is told there's a malfunctioning elevator, but with no further information, he rightly declares it's not within his scope. The receptionists are not trained in crisis management, and confused guests bombard them with questions. The call to the maintenance company is sent to the wrong contact due to outdated traceability.

An Unbearable Wait. An hour goes by. The technician finally arrives in a rush, alone, and without the proper tools. The malfunction appears complex, and the intervention drags on. The hotel cannot find any recent compliance audits for its elevators, some of which have not been checked in over three years.

When Communication Goes Wrong, A guest films the scene. The video is uploaded to social media. Within an hour, it goes viral. Journalists start contacting the hotel management. No communication or crisis response plan is in place or known to exist. Management refuses to comment. The absence of traceable or verifiable information worsens public suspicion. A proper crisis communication protocol should include a designated spokesperson, a ready-to-publish initial message, key factual points to share, and specific communication channels (such as social media, press email, and a dedicated hotline).

A Growing Image Crisis: Social media erupts. The scandal spreads. Guests cancel reservations, and partners express concern. The hotel is overwhelmed. Within 48 hours, the situation spirals out of control. And yet, it all started with a basic technical fault on a safety cable.

The Direct Consequence of Poor Preparation. This event demonstrates how a trivial incident, if poorly handled, can escalate into a major crisis. The lack of a compliance audit, untrained staff, outdated operational traceability, and absence of crisis communication mastery led to a loss of control.

A Lesson for All Organisations: Technical Incidents are Inevitable. But their management can be planned. Training staff, updating contact and procedure databases, performing regular audits, and simulating critical situations are essential to prevent a minor event from unleashing a media storm, a customer exodus, and financial collapse. This culture of security must not be limited to executives or security teams: it must be shared, understood, and practised by all staff at all levels.

Conclusion: Anticipating the Unforeseeable. This case underscores the vital importance of a prevention-oriented culture. Security isn’t just about technical systems—it’s about anticipation, organisation, training, and transparency. That’s how fear is kept from turning into panic, and incidents from becoming crises.

Remember: a shock impacts people and property. A crisis impacts image and finances.

❌ Safety Errors Identified

No staff training in crisis management.

Unclear decision-making chain of command.

Outdated traceability of maintenance contacts.

No recent compliance audit on crisis management.

Non-existent crisis communication protocol.

No anticipation of viral social media.

Lack of unusual situation simulations.

✅ Proposed Solutions

Regular audit of infrastructure and subcontractors.

Update of conduct sheets and emergency contacts.

Deployment of systematic crisis management training for all staff.

Creation of a crisis communication plan

Organising crisis simulations at least once a year.

Development of a comprehensive safety culture that involves all departments.

Integration of social media monitoring into the image monitoring process.

Implementation of a digital traceability system for internal incidents.

You need an expert? Think SDS!