SG KE TOI Make escalators safe for your children

Increasingly public places and malls have escalators and children like riding on them. Dr Nandini Mundkur lists out some simple precautions to help you make sure those rides are safe for your children

Not too long ago, there was an incident reported of a child who met with an accident while using an escalator and succumbed to the injuries.It is not uncommon to hear about accidents in children be it while crossing a road, falling off a swing or falling off from a top floor of a school building. It is indeed a sad state of affairs when such accidents happen because these can be prevented with a little understanding of how the system works, teaching the children the safety norms to be followed and to be a little cautious.

Children are vulnerable and prone to these accidents because they do not perceive danger of their actions and in company of other children they can get unruly.While it is important to provide a safe environment and standardised equipment to reduce the risk of such accidents, it is equally important to teach children and discipline them on using such facilities. Often, we find even parents and adults don’t follow rules themselves, hence they really find it difficult to instruct their children.

To prevent such accidents the golden rule is young toddlers must be supervised and also taught how to use these facilities. Parents must maintain a balance between over protection and giving freedom to learn the hazards of the environment.

Addressing escalator accidents we find although escalators in general are a safe mode of transport, accidents here are more due to carelessness. It is seen 75 percent of injuries are due to falls and about 20 percent are due to leg or shoes getting trapped in the escalator.

These precautions are to be followed while riding an escalator.

Children, and for that matter adults must not use rubber chappals or flip flops while riding an escalator. Avoid standing on the edge of the escalator as the saris or loose clothes can be entrapped. Loose shoe laces can get sucked in the teeth of the escalator. Clothes can also be caught on the screws from the side of the escalator. Therefore,stand in the middle of the steps. Older children and adults should hold the hand rails and young children should hold the hands of their companions.

Never let children play or sit on the escalator. Avoid taking heavy luggage or heavy parcels as they can fall off upsetting the balance and resulting in injury. Never rest your hand bag or parcels on the hand rail. It is wise not to window shop while on the escalator, and also chit chat and look around.

Watch the direction of the moving step,face forward and keep to the right of the escalator. Children and adults wearing bifocal glasses must be extra careful in judging the steps while getting on and off the escalator.

Schools can organise debates, quiz or discussion or safety weeks to pass these messages. The safety education can be started at seven to eight years. At this age, children get to be independent from their parents and also eager to act and learn.

Lastly, there should be an attendant to switch off the escalator in emergencies and also help in managing the crowd especially during weekends and peak crowd hours. Simple measures and being alert can prevent many unnecessary accidents.

(The author is a consultant in child development and disabilities)