Safety Tip :: Proper Escalator Use
After watching Kung Fu Panda yesterday, we noticed that one of the escalators near the cinema was not working. I didn’t give it much thought and we simply walked until we reached another escalator. Today, I was horrified to learn from another mom in school that she saw an accident at the escalator of that mall. She said a child’s hand got stuck in the escalator. The child was with the parents but she saw the child squatting on the escalator while moving up. The child must have put his hand on the side and got stuck. I didn’t see it happen but I feel sorry for the child. My fellow mom who witnessed the accident said the child’s hand was severely injured and was immediately wrapped in a blanket as soon as mall personnel freed the child’s hand.
If you have young children, make sure you avoid this kind of accident by supervising your child in escalators. Here are some escalator safety reminders that I would like to share:
- When you have a stroller, do not take the escalator. It’s safer to use the elevator. Many malls prohibit strollers on escalators.
- Never let a young child go up or down an escalator unsupervised.
- Hold one of your child’s hand while on the escalator. Tell him to use his other hand to hold the escalator banister.
- Never let your child touch the steps and side walls of the escalators.
- Make sure your child does not stand too close to the sides.
- Check your child’s shoes. Make sure they are no shoe laces left undone.
- If your child is wearing a long dress, be on the look out to make sure it doesn’t get caught in the escalator.
- When you reach the end, assist your child as he gets off the escalator.
- Be aware of the location of the emergency button in case you need to stop the escalator for emergency purposes.
