Worker Loses Part of Arm During Routine Escalator Inspection

Authorities are investigating a July 8 incident in Hong Kong in which a 50-year-old worker lost part of his right forearm while performing a routine escalator inspection at a hospital in the Hang Hau area, the South China Morning Post is among outlets to report. The man underwent emergency surgery at the hospital and was in critical condition later that day. Mechanical engineer Lo Kok-keung said such accidents usually happen when an escalator’s chain and motor are still moving when a worker checks inside the machine. He said, in this case, the worker was likely applying lubricants to the escalator’s sprockets. “Accidents like this commonly occur when someone forgets to turn off one of the parts,” Kok-keung observed. Connecting the ground floor with a floor below it, the escalator was last inspected on February 11 and underwent regular maintenance on June 17. It remains shut down as police, the maintenance contractor and relevant bodies including the Hospital Authority investigate.