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Building and Construction Authority
Lifts, Escalators & Mechanised Car Parking Systems

Magnetic Bollards

Property type

Condo/Strata

Landed

HDB

Others

Explore the use of magentic bollards at escalators to deter behaviour of carrying of bulky items such as shopping trolleys and prams on escalators.

Magnetic safety bollards installed at escalator entry in a shopping mall to guide pedestrians and prevent accidents.

What are Magnetic Bollards? 

A magnetic bollard is an innovation jointly developed and tested by BCA and Frasers Property (Singapore) Pte. Ltd. It is a removable post placed at escalator entrances. It uses a strong magnet to stay in place but can still be easily detached when needed, such as during emergencies.

Use cases of Magnetic Bollards

A main cause of escalator incidents is people carrying bulky items onto escalators. These items can get stuck, cause people to lose balance, or damage the escalator, leading to accidents. Bollards are low-cost and easy to install, making them a practical solution to this problem. The bollard acts as a barrier,  deterring people with trolleys, carts, or large items from entering the escalator.

BCA supports using magnetic bollards after pilot programs at shopping malls demonstrated their effectiveness. In 2022, a four-month pilot at Tampines 1 showed that magnetic bollards reduced the number of users with bulky items (e.g. shopping trolleys, prams) on escalators by half.

Can Magnetic Bollards be used for all escalator types? 

Magnetic bollards use strong magnets to attach to the maintenance plate in front of an escalator. However, this only works if the plate is made of ferrous materials like stainless steel. 

If the plate is made of aluminum or other non-ferrous materials, the magnets will not adhere. Therefore, building owners should check the plate material before installing magnetic bollards, as they are only suitable for ferrous surfaces.

Installing Magnetic Bollards

To use magnetic bollards, building owners should install them at escalator entrances. 

Magnetic bollards are to be installed on the surface of the maintenance floor plates at only the ingress of the escalators. The maintenance floor plates should be properly secured such that they could not be lifted up by the push of the bollard. It is also good to have auxiliary brakes installed when implementing the magnetic bollards.

The bollards should be checked regularly. This ensures that they remain secure and can be removed quickly in an emergency.

If you need guidance on installing magnetic bollards or have any questions, please contact BCA through the BCA Feedback Form.

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