Dec 10, 2007 11:14 pm US/Central
I-TEAM: Escalator Inspections Show Safety An Issue
(WCCO)
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Since the I-TEAM first reported the dangers of escalators a year ago the state has been called out to investigate 10 more accidents.
CBS
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Ten accidents may not sound like a lot but the state and the city of Minneapolis say many more are like Stosh's and go unreported.
CBS4
In fall of 2006, the I-TEAM uncovered safety problems with escalators inside Minnesota stores and malls. Inspections on escalators were rare.
So after a series of accidents and seeing how the stairs chewed through children's shoes and mangled their feet, the state stepped up and started to require annual inspections. To read more about the new rules click here.
Ten months later those inspections are providing growing evidence that families need to be careful riding escalators.
Accidents
Most journeys on escalators end the same way they start, uneventfully. However, when things go wrong they go wrong in a hurry.
"I don't know how it happened," said Tracy Marsh, thinking about what happened to her son, Stosh, Sept. 7, 2007 as he rode the escalator at the Downtown Minneapolis Macy's standing next to her. "I can't even explain it. When I saw it, it was like this horrible magic trick."
Marsh kept her 9-year-old son's shoe. The top toe section of the Croc was ripped off.
"His toes they weren't even there. I thought part of his foot was gone. I was like uuuuh!" she said.
Somehow, Stosh managed to keep his toes from being sucked into the escalator.
Two-year-old Madeline wasn't as lucky in the summer of 2006 when she journeyed down the escalator beside her father at Maplewood Mall.
"I was going down the escalator," said Madeline.
"And what happened?" asked WCCO-TV's Terri Gruca.
"My foot got caught," said Madeline.
Multiple surgeries were needed to piece Madeline's foot back together.
Many Accidents Not Reported
Since the I-TEAM first reported the dangers of escalators a year ago the state has been called out to investigate 10 more accidents. Two of the accidents involved children whose shoes were sucked into the step; one at Maplewood Mall the other at Eden Prairie Center.
Ten accidents may not sound like a lot but the state and the city of Minneapolis say many more are like Stosh's and go unreported.
In a written statement from Macy's, they say: "Macy's takes any situation involving our customers very seriously. We responded immediately to the incident and continue to investigate the situation. Our policy is to fully comply with all local, state and federal regulations. It is important to note that there were no injuries or damages to the escalator from this incident."
The city of Minneapolis says it was never notified of the incident involving Stosh, although it says it should have been. So the city now plans to send inspectors out to check the escalators to make sure they are in compliance. "I still don't know how it did it," said Stosh's mom.
What Inspectors Are Finding
Inspections of escalators started 10 months ago and inspectors are surprised what they're finding: Nerf balls, ripped up parts of shoes, they even found an entire sole from a sneaker underneath the steps. It's all evidence of problems.
They're also finding dangerous gaps.
State rules say the gap between the stairs and the wall of the escalator should be no bigger than three-sixteenths of an inch.
The state can't say how many of the 493 escalators that have been inspected so far this year have gaps bigger than that; only that most of them do. That means most are considered unsafe. Yet the new rules don't require them to be fixed until January 2010.
"At least you know it's a possible danger. Do something, look, protect your child," said Marsh.
Marsh and her kids never really paid much attention to the warnings posted next to escalators but now they are much more careful when they ride.
"It was really scary and I'm still really nervous around escalators," she said.
How To Ride Safely
It's more important than ever that you follow the rules of safety when riding escalators.
Make sure your kids stand as close to the middle of the step as possible and hold your hand. Do not have them hold onto the railing. It's important to keep their feet away from the edges of the steps.
Don't allow your kids to treat an escalator like a ride. Kids should not play around escalators.
Don't allow your kids to drag their feet at the end of the escalator.
Most of the shoes that get sucked into escalators have soft rubber soles. We read reports of kids getting caught wearing flip flops, Crocs even sneakers.
Keep strollers off. A stroller can permanently push the steps out of place making that gap grow, putting future riders at risk.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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