18/09/2017

Spate of Escalator accidents

Update 29 Dec 2019: 2 elderly women taken to hospital after losing balance and falling down Clementi

Two elderly women were taken to hospital after falling down an escalator at The Clementi Mall on Thursday morning (Dec 26).

Stomper Chun Hao alerted Stomp to the incident and said he saw the two women fall down the escalator from the second to first floor at the mall. He saw paramedics attending to the ladies.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told Stomp they were alerted to the incident at 10.20am and two persons were conveyed to Ng Teng Fong General Hospital.

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Senior shoppers hurt after fall on escalator in Northpoint City Mall
The escalator was cordoned off until further checks were made. PHOTOS: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

Three elderly shoppers fell while they were on an escalator in Northpoint City mall on Sunday.

The incident prompted members of the public to manually switch off the escalator, a mall spokesman told The New Paper yesterday.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force said that four people were taken to Khoo Teck Puat Hospital, two of whom had head injuries.

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MRT station officer saves boy from falling off escalator

In a flash, Mr Mohamed Ferdaus Mohamed Yusoff bolted up a moving escalator in an MRT station to grab hold of a little boy hanging off its side.

The station employee hauled him over the handrail, but lost his balance and fell on the steps of the moving escalator, hurting his knee.

He, however, held the boy tight as he hit the emergency stop button.

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Waterway Point investigating cause of dislodged escalator steps, no injuries reported
The steps on the escalator at level one of Waterway Point dislodged at 11.45am on Sept 28 and the escalator was said to be out of order. No injuries were reported in the incident, and the affected area was cordoned off.PHOTOS: MELISSA CHONG/FACEBOOK

Punggol's Waterway Point is investigating after the steps of a ground-floor escalator dislodged on Saturday (Sept 28), affecting mall-goers.

A spokesman for Waterway Point told The Straits Times on Sunday that the incident took place at 11.45am on Saturday.

The steps on the escalator at level one had dislodged and the escalator was said to be out of order, he said.

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Woman hurt in MRT escalator accident
Teacher Ian Stuart suggests it should be made impossible for the escalators to be activated before the shutter door opens.ST PHOTO: ZHAKI ABDULLAH

A woman and her two children were injured when they fell on a moving escalator at Changi Airport MRT station on Jan 27, after they and other commuters were caught between the escalator and the unopened shutter door to the station.

An eyewitness told The Straits Times that the escalator began operating at about 5.30am, leading some to ride it down as they thought the station had opened for service. At the foot of the escalator, however, they found the shutters were still closed, leading to a crowd being formed there.

While train service at the station typically begins at about 5.30am from Mondays to Saturdays, it starts only at about 6am on Sundays - when the incident occurred.

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Three taken to hospital after falling down escalator at King Albert Park MRT
Mr Kuang Bor Yuan's wife (left) had a head injury while he suffered from bruises on his back and scratches on his shoulder.PHOTOS: STOMP

What started as a simple journey home for Mr Kuang Bor Yuan, his wife and his sister-in-law on Tuesday night (Nov 6) ended with a trip to the hospital for the trio.

Mr Kuang said they had just taken the train to King Albert Park MRT station and were on the escalator to the bus stop at around 8.10pm when he felt a slight jerk.

The 68-year-old then lost his balance and fell backwards. This caused his wife and sister-in-law, who were standing below him on the escalator steps, to fall as well.

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Jewel Changi Airport urges vigilance after boy gets foot stuck in escalator, rushed to hospital
His foot was brushing along the sides of the escalator

A child was rushed to hospital after his foot ended up stuck in an escalator at basement two of Jewel Changi Airport on Monday, June 24. The Singapore Civil Defence Force was called at 3:20pm, and officers on the scene used rescue tools and drilling to pry the boy free.


This is not the first safety incident at Jewel Changi Airport, with two previous occasions of visitors getting injured within one week of the Canopy Park’s opening.


Last week saw a 14-year old girl requiring nine stitches after injuring herself at the mirror maze attraction at the park, while earlier this month, a woman sustained a deep cut on her finger after falling on the sky nets. Previously, a five-year-old boy also got his slipper stuck at the edge of an escalator.


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SCDF uses rescue tools to release child's foot stuck in escalator at Jewel
The Singapore Civil Defence Force said it responded to a call for assistance at 78 Airport Boulevard at 3.20pm and that the boy's foot was released using rescue tools. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

A child was taken to hospital after getting a foot stuck in an escalator at Jewel Changi Airport on Monday (June 24).

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it responded to a call for assistance at 78 Airport Boulevard at 3.20pm and that the boy's foot was released using rescue tools.

He was conveyed to KK Women's and Children's Hospital in an SCDF ambulance.

related:
Teen gets 9 stitches on face after being cut at Jewel's mirror maze
Woman injures hand after tripping on Canopy Park walking net at Jewel

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Boy's foot gets stuck in escalator at Jewel Changi Airport
SCDF officers assisting a child whose foot got stuck in an escalator in Jewel Changi Airport on Jun 24, 2019. (Photo: CNA reader)

A boy was taken to hospital after getting his foot stuck in an escalator at Jewel Changi Airport on Monday (Jun 24).

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) confirmed that it responded to a call for assistance at 78 Airport Boulevard at 3.20pm.

The child was released by SCDF using rescue tools, it added.

related:
Rangers are 'vigilant' at walking net attraction, says Jewel Changi Airport
The high-tech security systems that ensure guests' safety at Jewel Changi

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5-year-old boy’s slipper caught in Jewel Changi Airport level 1 escalator

Never stand near the edge of the escalator


A five-year-old boy’s slipper got stuck in the edge of an escalator in Jewel Changi Airport at around 10pm on May 12, 2019.

According to Lianhe Wanbao, the incident occurred on a down-riding escalator headed for basement level one from the first floor of the gigantic mall. The boy was casually dressed in a yellow top and shorts, and had his slippers on. He was taking the escalator with his family.
The report said it was his right slipper that got caught in the escalator.


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Lianhe Zaobao 联合早报 May 12

Lianhe Wanbao 联合晚报今日新闻】星耀樟宜(Jewel Changi Airport)发生意外!一名5岁男童的拖鞋不知何故陷入星耀樟宜电动扶梯的边缘,导致男童的右脚趾被割伤,惊动民防部队到场。

[Lianhe Wanbao lián hé wǎn bào today news] STAR YIU CHANGI (Jewel Changi Airport) accident! The slippers of a 5-Year-old boy somehow fell into the edge of the star electric escalator, causing the boy's right toe to be cut off and alerted the civil defense force to the presence of the civil defense force.


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Almost an accident a day on Singapore’s escalators, and the reasons why
There are nearly 7,000 escalators across Singapore, and issues surrounding their safety have become increasingly important

She has seen patients as young as one month old suffer from serious escalator-related injuries, such as to the head or spine.

And more than half of those who arrive at the hospital with injuries involving prams on escalators tend to be admitted, said Dr Sharon Goh from the Department of Emergency Medicine in KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

“What can happen is that parents push their children onto the escalator while they’re still seated on the pram. And sometimes the seatbelts aren’t buckled. They might fall off the stroller,” she explained.

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More than 92% of escalator accidents due to unsafe behaviour: BCA


More than 92 per cent of accidents on escalators happen because users do not practise safe behaviour, according to Building and Construction Authority (BCA) data.

The most common unsafe habits include not holding the handrails, running up escalators and the use of strollers on escalators, BCA told reporters on Thursday (Dec 20).

Other unsafe habits include the use of mobile devices, and not standing within the yellow box of the escalator step.

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Shopper injured due to faulty escalator at The Centrepoint in Orchard

A shopper sustained a minor injury on Thursday (Sep 7) after an escalator malfunctioned at The Centrepoint along Orchard Road.

The mall's spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia on Friday that two shoppers with a stroller were using the escalator located at Basement 1 when it broke down at 2.10pm. One of the shoppers, Tran Huu Minh, shared a picture of the incident showing the steps buckling due to the malfunction.

Tran said a sound was heard while coming off the escalator and urged the other shopper to step off too. "I screamed at my maid to jump off and luckily she did, if not her leg would have been injured or crushed," the shopper recounted, adding that the helper still sustained "some minor scratches" and is "very shaken by the incident".

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Two commuters injured at City Hall station after escalator side panel dislodges

2 commuters were injured after a side panel on an escalator dislodged at City Hall MRT station on Friday (Sep 14) afternoon. 

Both commuters were on a down-riding escalator when the incident happened, said SMRT's vice-president of corporate communications, Ms Margaret Teo.

"Our station staff provided first aid to the commuters, one of whom was conveyed to hospital for further treatment," she said in an email to Channel NewsAsia on Sunday.


Metal panel of SMRT escalator dislodges, woman suffers deep gash on shin

They were heading back to their workplaces after having lunch at Raffles City Shopping Centre on Fri (Sep 14) afternoon.

But on the way down an escalator at City Hall MRT Station, Mr Kevin Ong saw a metal panel of the escalator flip open. Just a second later, he heard his wife Ong Sook Ling let out a scream.

“I heard a metal screeching sound and the next thing I know, my wife was pinned down by the panel, and the escalator kept moving,” said 40-yr-old Mr Ong, who was standing behind his wife when the incident happened. Both Mr Ong and his 39-yr-old wife have a 3-yr-old daughter and work in the financial industry.


13 escalator incidents due to technical faults since Nov 2016
A faulty escalator injured a shopper at The Centrepoint on Sep 7. (Photo: Tran Huu Minh)

Since the mandatory reporting of escalator incidents started on Nov 1 last year, there have been 13 incidents due to technical faults, revealed Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong on Mon (Oct 2).

In a written reply to a Parliamentary question from Non-Constituency MP Daniel Goh, Mr Wong said that these 13 incidents were not due to user behaviour.

He added that as the tightened maintenance regime was only put in place in Nov, the Ministry of National Development (MND) is still monitoring its effects.

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Ah Ma Falls after Riding Escalator that “Broke Down Many Times”

Dead Rat found in Escalator Rails

A 70-year-old ah ma was sent to hospital yesterday after suffering head injuries from a fall while riding an escalator at People’s Park Complex.

An inspection of the escalator turned up a dead rat lodged in one of the escalator’s rails.

A store owner at People’s Park Complex for the past 25 years said the escalator was installed about 10 years ago and had broken down many times ever since.

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MAID HAD LUCKY ESCAPE AS ESCALATOR BECAME A TRAP DOOR


I was travelling with my maid down the escalator at a mall in Orchard. My maid was a few steps behind me and when I got off, the escalator made a terrible sound. I screamed at my maid to jump off and luckily she did if not her leg would have been injured or crushed. Despite jumping she still got some minor scratches but was obviously very shaken by the incident. The escalator brand was OTIS and according to security it is almost brand new.

I of course complained to building management and they have yet to get back to me.

If you hear sounds that don't seem right on an escalator my only advice is to get off quickly... better safe than sorry ... as for OTIS ... How can, in this day and age can you design a escalator that can crush and injure someone like this.

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Woman faints after falling down escalator at Queenstown MRT Station, was allegedly using phone


A woman in her 40s lost consciousness after falling down an escalator at Queenstown MRT Station on Saturday (Sep 16) at around 5:10pm.


According to Shin Min Daily News, the woman was using the escalator to go downstairs from the train platform when the accident happened.

When reporters visited the scene that same evening, a cleaner said that the woman was believed to have been using her phone while on the escalator. Not noticing that she had already reached the end of the escalator, the woman apparently tripped and fell.

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Shopper injured due to faulty escalator at The Centrepoint in Orchard


A shopper sustained a minor injury on Thu (Sep 7) after an escalator malfunctioned at The Centrepoint along Orchard Road.

The mall's spokesperson told Channel NewsAsia on Friday that 2 shoppers with a stroller were using the escalator located at Basement 1 when it broke down at 2.10pm. One of the shoppers, Tran Huu Minh, shared a picture of the incident showing the steps buckling due to the malfunction.

Tran said a sound was heard while coming off the escalator & urged the other shopper to step off too. "I screamed at my maid to jump off and luckily she did, if not her leg would have been injured or crushed," the shopper recounted, adding that the helper still sustained "some minor scratches" and is "very shaken by the incident".

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Man screams at maid to jump off escalator at The Centrepoint -- just before it breaks down


Stomper Minh was travelling down an escalator at The Centrepoint with his maid at around 2.05pm yesterday (Sep 7) when it suddenly malfunctioned.

According to Minh, he heard the incredible sound of crunching metal just after he got off the escalator with a pram carrying his daughter & quickly turned to shout at his maid to jump.

"Luckily she did, if not, her leg would have been injured or crushed," he said.

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Maid almost gets Crushed by Malfunctioning Escalator at Centrepoint Shopping Mall


Quick reflexes by an employer saved a maid from getting crushed in the jaws of a malfunctioning escalator.

Said Minh Tranh, who was with her maid at Centrepoint mall in Orchard Rd when they met with this harrowing incident.

“Your escalator at Centrepoint Orchard Almost Crushed the leg of my maid!!!! Are all your escalators safe? How can an escalator in this day and age fail like this…”

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Escalator at The Arcade Breaks Apart, Aunties Get the Scare of Their Lives!


With the recent gory news of how freak escalator accidents in China have killed or injured people, you’d forgive two aunties for screaming their lungs out at The Arcade when the escalator they were riding on “exploded”.


With a loud “bang”, one of the steps of the escalator step suddenly splintered and broke off from the rest of the tiles.

That caused a gap to form in which a person could possibly fall through and get crushed to death by the escalator mechanism.

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Woman escapes injury after escalator step suddenly breaks apart at The Arcade at Raffles Place

A woman narrowly escaped injury after an escalator in The Arcade at Raffles Place broke on Tue, Jan 5, 2016 FOTO: LIANHE WANBAO

A woman escaped injury after a step on the escalator she was riding on at The Arcade in Raffles Place broke.

An eyewitness, named only as Mrs Liu, told Chinese evening newspapers that she heard a loud bang coming from the escalator, which runs from the 1st to the 2nd floor, at about 3.30pm on Tue (Jan 5).

2 people were riding on it - a man who had just reached the landing on the 2nd floor, & a woman who was about 3 steps behind, Lianhe Wanbao reported.

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'Human pile-up' at Tampines 1 escalator after elderly man misses footing and falls


An elderly man lost his footing & fell while on an escalator at Tampines 1 shopping mall earlier today (Apr 23), causing other shoppers to get stuck.

A Stomper who filmed a Snapchat video of the incident had sent it to Stomp, & said that the incident happened at around 2.30pm.

Stomp understands that the escalator was functioning normally when the elderly man fell.

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Rivervale Mall escalator suddenly stops, woman tumbles down 15 steps

A woman lost her balance & tumbled down 15 steps, when an escalator suddenly stopped at Rivervale Mall.

The incident happened on on Wednesday (Aug 2), at around 2.50pm, reports Lianhe Wanbao via Lianhe Zaobao.

A worker from a nearby shop, Mr Elson Hit, told reporters that he had heard a shout & rushed out to see what happened.

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4-year-old girl sent to hospital after her foot gets stuck in White Sands mall escalator


A 4-yr-old girl was conveyed to hospital after her foot got stuck in an escalator at White Sands shopping mall last night (Aug 11).

The incident happened at around 9.30pm & the girl's foot got trapped in the escalator that was descending from level two to level one of the mall.

A video of the incident was captured by a crew member from SBS - Sure Boh Singapore & posted on their Facebook page.

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Narrow escape for couple with baby stroller at White Sands escalator

A couple with a baby in a stroller narrowly avoided trouble on Saturday after an escalator they had just stepped off buckled behind them.

The incident took place at White Sands shopping mall in Pasir Ris on an escalator riding downwards from the 3rd to the 2nd storey.

According to centre manager Koreen Koh, closed-circuit television footage showed that the incident happened at around 4:35pm as the couple were leaving the escalator landing with the stroller.

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Metal piece from escalator pierces kid's shoe at AMK Hub

A metal piece broke off from an escalator step & pierced a young boy's Crocs shoe at AMK Hub last week.

The incident happened on Dec 15 at about 1pm at Basement 2 of the heartland mall in Ang Mo Kio.

A spokesman from AMK Hub said that no one was injured & the escalator has been repaired.

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Man's foot gets stuck in Bugis Junction escalator

A man got his foot stuck between the plates of an escalator in Bugis Junction on Wed (Nov 16) at about 9pm.


Stomp reader Maohuan, who witnessed the scene, submitted a video to the citizen journalism website showing the rescue process.


He stated that the man was dressed "in formal attire with a jacket and tie, with leather shoes".


related:

Boy's toes get caught in escalator at Toa Payoh Hub
3-year-old boy's genitals caught in escalator in Malaysia

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Man injured after toe gets caught on Bugis Junction escalator


A man was injured after his foot got caught on an escalator at Bugis Junction mall on Wed (Nov 16) night.


The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said it was alerted to the incident at around 9:15pm and that its officers on the scene within 8 minutes.


The 27-yr-old man was subsequently freed from the escalator using rescue tools and sent to the S'pore General Hospital, SCDF added.


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Retiree in coma after fall at Bishan MRT escalator

UNCONSCIOUS: Mr Lim Chwee Leong was operated on immediately upon reaching the hospital as a blood clot had formed in his brain following his fall on an escalator at Bishan MRT station.PHOTO: SHIN MIN DAILY NEWS

He fell at the same spot twice at Bishan MRT station.


The 1st time it happened last Friday, Mr Lim Chwee Leong, 64, sprained his hand while breaking his fall as he was going up the escalator at Exit D.


The next day, the retiree, who is divorced, fell again at the same escalator.


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Boy screams after his toes get caught in escalator near Toa Payoh HDB Hub


A young boy got his foot caught between escalator steps near Toa Payoh HDB Hub earlier this afternoon (Jun 4) at around 1:15pm.


Stomper Vivien, who had been at the scene, said the child was "screaming away" as Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel and maintenance staff tried to free him.


It is unclear how the accident happened.


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Boy's toes get caught in escalator near Toa Payoh HDB Hub


A young boy's foot was caught between escalator steps near Toa Payoh HDB Hub earlier this afternoon (Jun 4) at around 1:15pm.


Citizen journalist Vivien, who had been at the scene, said the child was "screaming away" as Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel and maintenance staff tried to free him.


A spokesperson for the SCDF told Stomp: "SCDF was alerted to a rescue case at around 13:00 hours involving a child's toes being stuck in an escalator.


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Passer-by rushes to help boy whose foot was caught in escalator

AFTERMATH: Singapore Civil Defence Force officers trying to retrieve the boy’s shoe.TNP PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY

The piercing screams came from behind him.


When Mr Greg Choong turned around, he saw a woman & a boy on an escalator.


They were in the middle section of the escalator and were struggling wildly. The escalator leads from the 2nd to the 1st storey of the National Library in Victoria Street.


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Boy, 4, has foot trapped in escalator


He was about to reach the foot of the escalator when his little boy, who was beside him, screamed loudly.


He turned and saw that his four-yr-old son's foot was stuck in the escalator. Luckily, Mr Y. C. Tan reacted quickly.


He rushed to the bottom of the escalator to press the emergency stop button. A passer-by then called for help.


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Elderly women hurt in escalator accident

Punggol Plaza's escalators caused injuries to four elderly women. (Yahoo! photo/Ion Danker)

Four elderly women were hurt when they fell off an escalator at Punggol Plaza on Tuesday morning.


According to The Straits Times, the women suffered deep cuts, fractures and bruises when the handrail of the escalator they were on stopped suddenly. The four women aged between 72 to 81 lost their balance and fell backwards. They were just three steps from the top when two of them fell to the foot of the escalator while the other two landed on the escalator steps.


They sustained bruises and long scratches down their back caused by the escalator's jagged metal edges.


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Fire breaks out at Chinatown Point escalator

SCDF personnel investigating the cause of the fire at Chinatown Point. foto: Ooi Boon Keong

A fire broke out at Chinatown Point at about 3pm on Sun (Mar 5), filling the mall’s atrium with smoke.


The S'pore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) said the fire, which involved the electrical wiring of an escalator on the third floor, was extinguished using a water jet. No one was injured.


Mr John Ho, who was at the scene, posted a video on Facebook at 3:10pm along with a comment that he could not see a fire even though there was "lots of smoke".


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Children getting maimed by escalators


Escalators are public limb-guillotines, things we take so often on a regular basis that we forget what lethal slice-and-dice contraptions these can turn out to be, epitomised by one of the more gruesome deaths from the Final Destination series.


A series of toe mutilations occurred in 2006-2008, with people pointing fingers at rubber footwear instead of negligence on the part of the parent or playfulness/carelessness by the child. But feet trappings were already happening before Crocs became popular; In 1985, canvas shoes and shoelaces were gobbled up by escalators, almost dragging their wearers with them.


Handrails, designed as a safety feature, have ironically claimed the hands of a few as well, with cleaners getting theirs stuck in the line of duty. Kids have gotten stranded while hanging on handrails on the outer side of up-escalators, or landed themselves in critical condition after monkeying around trying to climb over them. Even holding on to handrails too tightly may get you keeling over if they stop suddenly, as what happened to 4 elderly women in Punggol Plaza last year. Hands and feet aside, you could also get your HEAD stuck between escalator and wall if you’re leaning over the handrails staring at the basement below (Boy’s head stuck between escalator and wall, 19 Aug 1997, ST)


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Escalators Dangerous for Children in Crocs


Parents have always had to pay close attention to children on escalators. The popularity of soft-soled shoes such as the Crocs™ brand has created a situation that requires greater attention. In May 2008, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reported that it had collected reports of 77 "entrapment incidents" on escalators since January 2006. An "entrapment incident" is when a person's hand, foot, or shoe is trapped in an escalator. The most common incident is when a foot is caught. About half of the incidents reported resulted in an injury, and all but two involved soft-sided flexible clogs like Crocs™.


According to the CPSC, "soft-sided shoes are the most likely to get stuck and pose the possibility of injury to the rider." This includes not only Crocs™ but flip-flops. In April 2007, a 3-year-old girl had to have two toes partially amputated after her Croc™ got stuck in an escalator at the Atlanta airport.


In addition to the tips shown below, ABC News reports that "experts say parents should make sure children ride in the center of the escalator step. Parents of small children should carry them, and kids should not run their foot along the wall - that creates friction and heat, which could explain why the Crocs™ seem to melt around the edge of the step."


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