What’s one thing you probably take every day but have no idea how dangerous it actually is?
No, I’m not talking about vehicles like cars and buses. I’m talking about escalators.
Are you aware that freak accidents occur all the time on escalators? Now you’re probably thinking that these things happen in other countries and not in Singapore, but you couldn’t be more wrong.
Just this month, a Waterway Point escalator dislodged in front of a mother and her baby. In another incident, a boy fell off an escalator and an SBS transit staff saved him in the knick of time.
Not forgetting how Centrepoint’s escalator collapsed and almost crushed a 25-year-old woman’s leg 2 years ago.
There are many other escalator-related accidents in Singapore, but if I listed all of them, I wouldn’t be able to go for lunch. So let me run you through the latest freak accident:
Another Escalator Incident, This Time in Northpoint That Injured 3 Elderly
Before anything, let me clarify that not all of these accidents are due to poor maintenance of the escalators. Some are simply freak accidents.
The incident at Northpoint involved three elderly shoppers who fell while they were on an escalator in Northpoint City mall on Sunday, 22 December.
A mall spokesman told The New Paper that quick-thinking members of the public rushed forth to switch off the escalator.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force were alerted about the incident and said that four people were brought to Khoo Tech Puat Hospital.
Two of the victims sustained head injuries, which are said to be minor.
What Happened
It was around 5.30pm when three elderly shoppers aged around 60-70 years old fell and were injured on an upward-moving escalator at Northpoint City.
Members of the public were quick to slam the emergency stop button.
A mall spokesman said, “Security personnel and service staff on-site attended to the shoppers and administered first-aid treatment to their injuries.”
“Arrangements were made by the staff for the group of shoppers to receive further medical assistance, and they were taken to a nearby hospital shortly after.”
To ensure that nothing was wrong with the escalator, it was cordoned off while it underwent checks. However, nothing was found to be amiss and the escalator was deemed alright to operate again at 9.15pm that same day.
Shin Min Daily News reported that the escalator had broken down while the elderly shoppers were on it, causing them to lose their balance and fall.
I suppose we won’t know for sure what happened, but the fact remains that we need to be careful when we are taking escalators.
According to the Building and Construction Authority, “escalator safety is a shared responsibility. Escalator owners and escalator contractors play an important role in ensuring that their escalators are being maintained according to the prevailing standards.”
