The rising popularity of flip flop sandals and Crocs shoes,
has brought escalator safety concerns for children in the
United States to the forefront. As a physician and mother
of three small girls, a few questions came to mind. These
two types of shoe gear have been lumped together as
increasing risks, but is this a truly fair assessment? What
is the truth about the risks involving our children and
escalators? Is awareness enough to protect our children? Do
the shoes our children wear on escalators matter?
Let's start with a look at the numbers. In the United
States there are an estimated 35,000 escalators with
approximately 245 million riders daily. The Consumer
Product Safety Commission estimates that about 10,000
people go to the emergency room every year after accidents
on escalators and 20 percent of these injuries involve
entrapment of feet, hands, or shoes. That's approximately
2,000 emergency room visits per year for such entrapments,
which usually involve softer shoes or bare feet. The fact
that these figures have been fairly constant for the past
15 years, long before the advent of Crocs, seems to nullify
the idea that somehow Crocs are more susceptible to such
entrapments than other soft footwear. Given the number of
kids wearing Crocs today, it only stands to reason that
eventually an entrapment would occur, as Crocs are not
immune to rider missteps resulting in being grabbed by
escalators, any more than flip flops, jelly shoes, sandals
or soft running shoes.
What puts our children at risk? The fact that escalators
are dangerous to small children has been well known for
years. In fact, in 1997, in the Journal of the American
Academy of Pediatrics, it was reported by a group of
physicians from the Department of Pediatrics, New York
University School of Medicine and the Pediatric Emergency
Service, "Children are at risk for sustaining severe
injuries on escalators. Young age, inadequate adult
supervision, improper activity while riding on the
escalator, and escalator-related mechanical problems all
increase the risk of injury. Public and parent education
directed toward escalator safety issues may help to reduce
escalator-related injuries in children." The largest
incidence of injury was reported to be involving children
between 2 and 4 years old (50%) with the average age being
6 years old. It should also be noted that 60% of children
fell prior causing their injury.
The action of stepping off the escalator is associated with
an increased risk of injury. Young children may remain
standing on the escalator and allow their feet to slide off
at the end, instead of actually stepping off. The small
size of a child's foot may increase the risk of it slipping
into the gap where the last step slides into the comb
plate. While stepping off an escalator may seem like a
simple and natural task to an adult, the developmental
level of young children limits their ability to both
anticipate and coordinate this action. In addition to feet
becoming entrapped during the process of stepping off,
children's small extremities may become lodged between two
steps or between a step and the side-rail.
We can continue to ride escalators with our children if we
follow some simple safety tips from the Consumer Product
Safety Commission:
1. Loose shoelaces, drawstrings, scarves and mittens can
become entrapped. Make sure a child's clothing does not put
them at risk.
2. Always hold children's hands, just like crossing the
street!
3. Do not permit children to sit or play on the steps.
4. Do not carry children in strollers, walkers, or carts.
Use the elevator.
5. Always face forward and hold the handrail. If you fall,
you put your child at increased risk!
6. Avoid the edges of the steps where entrapment can occur.
7. Always pay attention and alert while riding with your
children, note where the emergency shut off is.
Prevention of escalator-related injuries is the key and
efforts should be focused in two directions. Safety
education for parents should include and give specific
guidance regarding injury prevention about riding on
escalators. Increased parental supervision should be
encouraged, such as hand-holding or even carrying of young
children while riding on and especially while stepping off
escalators. Children should be taught not to run, play, or
sit while riding on an escalator and of course, children
should face forward and hold the handrails.
The bottom line about escalator injuries is that no matter
what shoes a child is wearing, if the parents are not
supervising them closely, injuries can occur. There is no
specific correlation between shoes and injuries; they occur
even in the best of circumstances usually due to
inattention and children's unsafe behavior. Parents need to
be diligent about watching their children and following the
guidelines to provide a safe ride for all children on
escalators.
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Dr. Marybeth Crane is a podiatric foot and ankle surgeon
and managing partner of Foot and Ankle Associates of North
Texas, LLP, in Grapevine, Texas. She is also the mother of
three girls, Alex, Caitlin and Sasha; and always holds
their hands while riding escalators. For more information
about children's feet and injuries, visit my website at
http://www.faant.com .
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