The most common behaviours that resulted in incidents were the loss of user balance from not holding onto handrails and leaning on the sides of escalators.
With nearly 7,000 escalators in use across the island, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) has rolled out several initiatives to minimise escalator incidents and encourage ongoing escalator safety among the general public in building-dense Singapore. These measures include strengthening current regulations and the launch of public education campaigns to safeguard public safety and the wellbeing of all escalator users.
According to BCA’s statistics, the improper use of escalators contributed to the majority of escalator incidents – 90% of all reported cases were due to user behaviour. Meanwhile, 60% of incidents have resulted in users at a hospital.
Based on BCA’s data, more than half of the people who are involved in escalator incidents are the elderly and young children, with incidents occurring most often at MRT stations and shopping malls where human traffic is high. The most common behaviours that resulted in incidents were the loss of user balance from not holding onto handrails and leaning on the sides of escalators.
While escalators are heavy-duty machinery designed to account for wear and tear, improper use can result in damage and unforeseen incidents. For example, one frequent errant behaviour highlighted in BCA’s latest public education campaign is the onboarding of baby strollers or prams on escalators. This behaviour poses danger as stroller wheels may be jammed between the escalator steps, causing the steps to dislodge.
Another possible occurrence could be the escalator’s safety mechanism kicking in and causing a sudden stop, leading to children and other items toppling from a stroller if they are not properly secured. Such behaviour not only endangers oneself and one’s children, but other users on the escalators as well.
BCA encourages the elderly and parents with young children in strollers to use the lifts, and urge the able-bodied to give way to these two groups of users when using the lifts.
With regards to escalator safety, the public is reminded to:
- Not use the escalator when pushing strollers or carrying bulky items
- Keep shoes away from the side of escalators
- Stand within the yellow lines
By ensuring that we use escalators properly and adhere to the necessary precautions, we can participate in our civic duty to make our journeys safe for everyone, young and old.