|
The
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) wants you and your
family to be safe when riding escalators. The CPSC estimates that
there were 7,300 hospital emergency room-treated injuries from escalators
in 1994. Seventy-five percent of these injuries were due to falls,
another 20 percent occurred when hands, feet or shoes were trapped
in escalators.
Here are some steps you can take to help prevent escalator injuries,
especially injuries to young children:
-
Be
aware that loose shoe laces, drawstrings, scarves, and mittens
can get trapped in escalators. In the past year, CPSC reached
an agreement with a number of children's clothing manufacturers
to remove drawstrings from the necks and hoods of children's
garments. If your child's clothing still has drawstrings, remove
them.
-
Always
hold children's hands on escalators and do not permit children
to sit or play on the steps.
-
Do
not bring children onto escalators in strollers, walkers, or
carts.
-
Always
face forward and hold the handrail.
-
Avoid
the edges of steps where entrapment can occur.
-
Learn
where the emergency shutoff buttons are in case you need to
stop the escalator.
The
American Society of Mechanical Engineers/American National Standards
Institute Escalator Committee set a voluntary standard for escalators.
The standard requires
- That
the emergency shutoff buttons be at the top and bottom of each
escalator. The button should be on the right side of the escalator
when facing the stairs.
- That
sidewalls be made of low-friction material so soft-soled shoes
cannot get caught easily.
- That
"skirt obstruction devices" (which sense the presence of a foreign
object and automatically shut off the escalator) be at the top
and bottom of the escalator.
- That
side clearance at the edges of steps be no more than 3/16 inch
- That
warning signs be placed on escalators reminding parents to hold
children's hands and face forward.
- That
each step have painted foot prints or brightly colored borders.
|
