November 6, 2009 - Governor Jennifer M. Granholm has proclaimed November 8-14 as Elevator Escalator Safety Awareness Week to educate parents, senior citizens and other consumers about safety tips to prevent avoidable incidents and accidents. The Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation estimates that more than 575 million people ride elevators, escalators, and moving sidewalks daily.
"The state of Michigan has nearly 26,000 elevators and escalators and every year we receive reports of incidents and accidents that may have been avoided if consumers followed common sense safety tips," said Irvin J. Poke, director of the state of Michigan's Bureau of Construction Codes (BCC) in the Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG). "Children are considered the most at-risk of being injured so parents should recognize the importance of preventing children from riding elevators and escalators unattended and also not using strollers on escalators."
DELEG's Bureau of Construction Codes, Elevator Safety Division, and Elevator Safety Board are responsible for the state's elevator, escalator, and dumbwaiter inspections; complaint investigations; reporting of elevator accidents; and issuing elevator contractor licenses.
Many of the most serious injuries reported for elevators and escalators are due to falls, particularly involving riders over the age of 65 years old. Falls and other accidents may be avoided by following these safety tips:
Elevators
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Enter and exit carefully. Step up or down if the elevator floor and hall floor are not level with one another.
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Watch out for, and stand clear of, closing doors. Do not touch closing doors or try to stop them from closing. Door sensors aren't always completely reliable.
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Keep clothes and carry-ons away from the opening.
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Push and hold the Door Open button if doors need to be held open, or ask someone to push the button for you.
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If the doors do not open when the elevator stops, ring the alarm button and wait. Never force the doors open or try to exit.
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In the event of a fire, never use the elevator, use the stairs.
Escalators & Moving Walks
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Step on and off promptly and with care, and take extra care if you wear bifocals.
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Passengers only on escalators: no strollers, walkers, or carts of any type.
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Always stand facing forward; stand on the middle of the step away from the sides.
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Grasp the handrail as you step promptly onto the moving step; keep a firm grip on the handrails and avoid the sides under the rail.
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Hold children and small packages firmly with one hand; don't rest parcels on the handrail.
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Be careful of loose clothing, untied shoelaces, high heels, jewelry, long hair, and any other item that might get caught in an escalator.
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Move quickly away from exit areas; don't stop, other passengers are behind you.
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An escalator standing still is not just a set of stairs and should not be used in that manner. The risk of tripping is increased when used that way since escalator steps are not the correct height for normal walking.
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On moving walks, stationary passengers should stay to the right and let walking passengers pass on the left.
Elevator Escalator Safety Week has been recognized nationally since 1994. The Elevator Escalator Safety Foundation estimates there are 700,000 elevators and 35,000 escalators nationwide with more than 210 billion riders traveling every year.
Read more releases from the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth
For more information about DELEG, please visit
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