The Consumer Product Safety Commission provided us all with some 'Steps to Safety When Using Escalators' a few years ago.
A recent story about an escalator accident involving a 2-year-old at the Glendale Galleria in California is a good reminder why parents should review these safety steps. The toddler fell on the escalator, and the moving escalator severed the tip of one of his fingers.
Unfortunately, even though emergency workers found the fingertip 30 minutes later, his finger was too badly damaged to allow it to reattached at the hospital.
Escalator Safety
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that there were about 11,000 injuries on escalators in 2007, mostly from falls. In addition, there have been at least 77 reports of entrapment -- when hands, feet, or shoes (mostly clogs and slide sandals) get trapped in the escalator -- since 2006.
Your kids can still ride the escalator, but be sure they do it safely. They should:
- tie their shoelaces before getting on the escalator
- stand in the center of the escalator, face forward, hold a parent's hand, and step off at the end
- refrain from sitting or playing on the escalator -- it should not be treated as an amusement park ride
Perhaps most importantly, learn where the emergency shutoff button is so that you can turn off the escalator if someone gets entrapped while riding.
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Elevator Safety
Hidden Dangers
Strangulation Hazards
Nice story, however next time a story is written like this go a little further with your online research. The Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation offers a great online educational program for kids and adults.
http://www.eesf.org/
http://www.safetrider.org/
http://www.eesf.org/education/