Escalator injuries in older adults

A research study at the Indiana University School of Medicine shows that escalator-related injuries to older adults have doubled from 1991 to 2005. The study found that often because of mobility and balance issues, nearly 40,000 older adults were injured on escalators between 1991 and 2005.

Web MD has some safety tips for using escalators:

Most of the escalator injuries happened when seniors slipped, tripped, or fell, usually when stepping onto or off of an escalator.

Some people got injured because they lost their balance or got dizzy. Others got a shoe, clothing, bag, or package caught in an escalator, or they collided with someone else on the escalator.

Escalators are safe, but falls can still occur, write the researchers, who provide the following escalator safety tips for older adults:

* Use caution when riding an escalator, especially when stepping on or off.
* Don’t try to walk up a moving escalator.
* Don’t carry large objects on an escalator.
* Don’t wear loose garments while riding an escalator.
* If you have trouble walking or maintaining balance, consider using an elevator.

I’m always careful with children around escalators, and even though I’ve seen an elderly person take a big fall on an escalator at the airport, I really hadn’t given a lot of thought to how often this occurs and I think I’ll be more aware of it now.