Thousands of New Yorkers use escalators or elevators every day whether going to and from home, work, school and government buildings, for instance. This time of year you’re probably sharing elevators and escalators with shoppers at the mall.
New York City Department of Buildings supervises more than 63,000 escalators and elevators. On average, these slow-moving apparatuses make about 500 trips daily. New York City escalator and elevator accident attorneys know that with roughly 30 million trips daily, the risk of serious injury increases when the devices are not maintained or they become overcrowded.
We want to remind New Yorkers who are injured in an elevator or escalator accident in Manhattan, Queens or elsewhere that they should consider taking steps to hold property owners accountable. Owners or managers of office buildings, shopping malls, hotels, school buildings and housing facilities among others have an obligation to make sure the moving devices are working properly in an effort to prevent injuries.
An elevator or escalator may suddenly malfunction causing it to stop because of a faulty pulley system, wiring or door operation. These malfunctions may cause riders to fall, which can lead to head trauma, internal bleeding, broken bones, or severe cuts and lacerations. Stepping into an empty elevator shaft or getting clothing or other items stuck in an escalator are other common causes of injury.
Elevator and escalator operators and owners are required to have the moving apparatuses inspected five times every two years. Three of the inspections are performed by the NYC Building Department and two are conducted by private inspection agencies. Once the inspection is complete, a copy needs to be posted on the escalator or elevator or kept in the building owner’s office.
The Department of Buildings spent a week in November educating children in schools throughout the five boroughs about the dangers and how to stay safe while riding on escalators and elevators. Brooklyn Daily Eagle reports children spent the week learning about and discussing the following safety tips:
-Step carefully when entering or exiting an elevator or escalator. Be careful that the steps or floor is level before you step.
-If you are riding in an elevator and it gets stuck, push the emergency button and wait for help to arrive.
-Closed elevator doors should never be forced open with your fingers or other body parts.
-Always face forward and hold on to the handrail while riding a moving escalator.
-Don’t stand between the open doors of an elevator or attempt to stop them from closing automatically. If the doors begin to close, wait for the next elevator to arrive.
-Keep your hands away from the sides of an escalator below the handrails.
-Do not run up or down an escalator or jump around inside an elevator.
-Keep loose clothing, shoelaces, backpacks, or cords from electronic devices like iPods from catching in an elevator door or escalator step.
Contact New York injury lawyer Nicholas Rose, PLLC if you or a family member has been injured while riding an escalator or elevator in Queens, Manhattan or throughout New York City. Call for a free consultation to discuss your case at 1-877-313-7673.
Additional Resources:
City Launches Elevator Safety Campaign for Youngsters, by Brooklyn Eagle, Brooklyn Daily Eagle.
More Blog Entries:
New York City Shoppers at Risk of Premise Liability Accidents During Black Friday Sales Events, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, November 24, 2011.
National Elevator and Escalator Safety Awareness Week Addresses High Risks of Injury in New York City, New York Injury Lawyer Blog, November 7, 2011.
