Caution Urged After Fatal Escalator Fall in Canada

Technical Safety British Columbia (TS BC) is reminding the public of the importance of following caution signs after a fatal escalator fall last year at Saanich’s Uptown Shopping Centre in Canada, Chek News reports. A shopper took a mobility walker onto the mall’s downward-moving escalator and, while holding the walker’s handles, lost balance and fell forward, suffering a serious head injury and dying a few days later, says TS BC. CCTV footage showed a shopper walking with a mobility walker in the direction of the elevator, then passing it and heading toward the escalator. The man walked through an opening behind a row of safety bollards and onto the escalator. According to the report, the elevator, located adjacent to the escalators, is large and commonly used by customers with mobility challenges and those with shopping carts. The escalator was regularly inspected, maintained and functioning normally and as intended, with an operating speed of 100 ft/min and a travel distance of approximately 15 ft. It’s also equipped with multiple safety features. Escalators are required under the CSA B44 Safety Code to have caution signs located at the top and bottom landings, readily visible to boarding passengers and including wording such as “caution” and “passengers only.” There are currently no requirements for barriers or bollards, the report says.