The Dangers of Riding on Escalators and What You Can Do to Stay Safe

We've all seen them in the stores nowadays, those clogs made out of rubber called Crocs. They have them in virtually any size imaginable so anybody can wear them. Parents do not think twice about buying them for their children. They are great to wear during the summer but there are dangers associated with wearing Crocs.

An incident happened in the Philippines where a 5 year old child had to be taken to the hospital, just because he decided to wear these rubber clogs. One of his clogs had gotten stuck in the escalator while he was riding it with his parents. The boy was shouting and crying when his father realized what had happened. The father immediately grabbed his son and pulled on his leg in order to free it. Luckily he was able to release his son from the escalator before any real physical damage happened but unfortunately the emotional trauma will stay with this little boy.

There have also been other incidents where shoe straps or long pant legs have gotten caught inside a moving escalator. All of this can be avoided if you are careful. Do not take for granted that this can not happen to you because many people a year have to visit the hospital due to injuries involving an escalator.

So what can you do to ensure that something like this does not happen to you or a family member, most notably your child? The first thing you can do is to always hold on to the handrail. It is your best bet for staying steady and upright while riding on the escalator. If your child cannot reach the handrail, then hold his or her hand. Have the child stand right beside you while on the escalator. Do not have your child in front or in back of you or allow them to go off far ahead of you. This is vital when riding an escalator. It is there for a reason so take advantage of it.

Now when stepping onto an escalator, make sure it is at a safe point where you know you can step onto it. The same thing with your child. Always stay upright. Do not bend over the side for any reason. Stay towards the middle of the step you are on.

Make sure your pant legs can not touch the sides of the escalator. Have your shoe laces and your child's shoe laces completely tied tight. Make sure if you are carrying anything, hold it and keep it away from where it could get caught in the escalator.

When you are ready to step off, gauge when it is safest to do so. The same thing when you were first stepping onto on it. Wait until that step you are on is close to the top and then get off. I hope these tips will help you and your family. Don't take it for granted that it can't happen to you. It can be easily prevented if you are careful.