§ Mr. Jocelyn Cadbury (Birmingham, Northfield)I am most grateful for this opportunity to raise the issue of safety standards on escalators. My attention was first drawn to this issue by two particularly unpleasant accidents that occurred in Birmingham. The first accident happened in May 1978 to Sally Glennan, the four-year-old daughter of my constituent, Mr. T. Glennan, while she was on an escalator in Woolworths in Northfield. Sally and her mother had been out in the rain and Sally slipped over on the escalator, was spreadeagled across it and got her foot caught between the moving step and a side wall of the escalator. Fortunately, the machine stopped but her right leg was seriously damaged and remains disfigured.
A similar accident occurred on an escalator in the Rackham's store in Birmingham in January 1979 to four-year-old Rachel Lloyd. Her foot and leg were drawn in between the moving step and the side of the escalator and she remained trapped there in great pain for over an hour. Rachel had to have four operations. She has not lost her leg but she will always walk with a limp as a result of this unpleasant accident.
The safety of escalators was raised as long ago as December 1968 by my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Edgbaston (Mrs. Knight) and more recently by my hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Selly Oak (Mr. Beaumont-Dark) and myself. In 1969 a campaign was started by the distinguished London surgeon Mr. Alexander Kates, who did a great deal of research into escalator safety, having been prompted to do so by some particularly gruesome operations that he had had to perform. In the February 1968 issue of The Lancet Mr. Kates described how twice in the previous two years he had had to amputate part of a child's leg.
One of the major difficulties facing those who have researched into accidents on escalators is that until this year there has been no systematic collection of statistics on the frequency of accidents. However, after looking into this matter myself, I think that one can make a number of observations with a fair degree of certainty. First, the number of serious accidents on escalators is relatively small in relation to the millions of people who use them, but when a serious accident occurs it is usually extremely unpleasant—as my two examples have demonstrated.
Such evidence as there is suggests that the most serious accidents usually occur to young children. It is interesting to note that both Sally Glennan and Rachel Lloyd were only four years old when they had their accidents.
Obviously it is not always easy for mothers, particularly in crowded department stores and if they are carrying shopping, to control young children. At the same time, some accidents are undoubtedly caused by the abuse of elementary safety rules, either through ignorance or by young pranksters.
No piece of moving machinery can be made 100 per cent. accident-proof, and there will always be human error, but when the price is as high as the loss of a child's limb the House has a responsibility to raise safety standards to the highest practical level.
As a result of the efforts of those who have campaigned on this issue, some progress has been made. First, all serious accidents on escalators must now be reported to local authorities under the Notification of Accidents and 1039 Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980. This means that it is possible for the Health and Safety Executive to learn how many serious accidents occur each year on escalators. We shall have the first complete set of figures on this subject in January next year.
A second area of activity has been taking place at the European level. The Comité Européen de Normalisation—CEN—has drawn up proposals for escalator standards. These are progressing towards adoption by all European countries. My hon. and learned Friend the Minister will know that if the proposals are accepted by all these countries they will be incorporated in the standards of the British Standards Institution, probably some time next year.
I have examined the CEN proposals. I believe that they fall far short of what is both necessary and possible to make escalators safe. They represent very little, if any, advance on the standards already incorporated in those of the British Standards Institution. While there is no harm in adopting the CEN proposals, the only effective improvements in escalator safety in this country will come from a unilateral raising of British standards in many important areas.
The suggestions that I make fall into two main categories. They concern technical improvements to make escalators more safe, the training of staff who work in places where escalators are operated and the education of the general public about the hazards of escalators.
My first recommendation concerns the installation of what are called microswitches. These switches are sensitive to increases in pressure and can be fitted to the flexible sides of escalators so that they bring them to a halt if a person gets a foot or a piece of clothing caught between the step of the escalator and the skirt wall. Microswitches can be fitted at regular intervals on the sides of the escalator so that in the event of an accident at least the machine will be brought to a halt. It is possible to fit these devices at two other danger points—on the cone, where the escalator disappears into the ground, and on the so-called handrail entry box where the handrail goes out of sight.
These microswitches are not cheap. They may cost £1,000 to instal on an existing machine, but they would not represent more than about 5 per cent. of the cost of a new escalator. Marks and Spencer has had these micro-switches fitted since 1969. I suggest that the fitting of microswitches be incorporated into the British standards in addition to the CEN proposals.
While all escalators should be fitted with micro-switches, conventional emergency stop buttons will remain a second line of defence. On long escalators, such as some of the London Transport machines, the problem is that if an accident occurs half way up the escalator, it is a long way for someone either to run up or run down to press the emergency stop button or to shout to a fellow passenger to push the button. The CEN proposals mention that problem and "permit"—that is its word—additional stop buttons if the escalators rise more than 12 metres. I recommend that the British Standards Institution should go further and incorporate into its standards the fitting of additional stop buttons half way up long escalators.
A third area in which I should like Britain to improve on the European standards is in the painting of yellow lines on escalator steps to show where it is safe to stand. Many department stores already have yellow lines, but the CEN proposals make no mention of them. Thought needs to be given to where the lines are positioned on the steps. One 1040 expert explained to me that the line that crosses the steps should be painted, not near the leading edge, but at the back of the step near the so-called riser. That is because the point of maximum danger is when one's foot rests against the riser.
Another important factor is the siting, size and character of warning notices. It is vital that warning signs should be conspicuously placed and are large and clear enough to be easily understood. I recommend that pictographs and writing should be used. Pictographs are particularly necessary in London because many foreigners who use escalators cannot read English. The CEN proposals suggest pictographs of 18 mm. by 18mm. Surely that is too small. I believe that they would need to be substantially larger to ensure that members of the public can easily read them. In addition to the warning suggested by the CEN, I recommend that warnings against the wearing of soft footwear, particularly soft rubber boots, which so often cause accidents, should be included.
Skirt guards have been fitted on most London Transport underground escalators. They protrude a few inches from the side of the escalator to discourage passengers from standing too close to the danger area. They run along just above the moving steps, so cannot prevent someone from putting his foot into the unprotected triangle, but they act as a deterrent. The fact that London Transport, which is one of the biggest single users of escalators, makes use of the device is a considerable recommendation. Skirt guards are not included in the CEN proposals or in the BSI standards, but there can be no argument against their use. I urge my hon. Friend to see that they are incorporated in the BSI standards.
An ingenious variation on the theme is a continuous brush fixed to the side of the escalator which encourages passengers to stand on a safe area of the step in a harmless way.
Certain substances help to prevent the adhesion of soft-soled shoes and rubber boots to the sides of escalators. Coatings of Teflon and Adsil are most effective. Two well-known department stores already use such substances. I suggest that the use of such coatings is written into the BSI standards.
I turn to two other key issues relating to escalator safety—staff training and the need to promote public awareness of the dangers of escalators. Staff who work in department stores or in other places where there are escalators should be thoroughly trained in the prevention of accidents and the procedure for dealing with them if they occur. Marks and Spencer already takes great trouble to train its staff. For example, a member of staff will stop little children playing on escalators if she sees them doing so.
When Rachel Lloyd had her accident there was considerable confusion, and it took time before the necessary emergency services arrived. Her leg was stuck in the escalator for 1¼ hours before firemen eventually freed it. They first tried to dismantle the escalator and finally used a crowbar to release the child.
It is extremely important that staff should be well trained and know which services to call and that those who work in the services, such as firemen, receive instruction in the quickest method to free trapped passengers. The Department of Employment should publish a booklet for excalator operators describing the proper safety procedures.
1041 There is alarming ignorance among the public of the hazards of escalators. One has only to travel on an escalator to see adults and children doing things that they would not do if they understood the risks. Mothers and young children are perhaps the most vulnerable. Every possible step should be taken to promote a greater awareness of the need to observe the relatively simple rules.
In 1979 a British Safety Council survey showed that, of 500 people questioned, over half did not know how to stop an escalator in an emergency. The level of public consciousness could be raised through short television programmes, school visits to department stores and a green cross code on escalator safety similar to the road safety code.
We should not be satisfied with the European proposals on escalator safety. I urge my hon. and learned Friend to consider raising the BSI standards to incorporate the points that I have suggested. The companies and authorities which operate escalators will observe the BSI standards and any improvements to them. However, the Health and Safety Executive should monitor new safety standards, and if after, say, two years or a reasonable time it has evidence that the new standards are not being attained, the Government should consider making them statutory. In setting these standards, we must be realistic about what operators can afford to pay and the time scale in which they can meet improvements in safety standards.
We shall soon have reliable statistics on the number of serious accidents. My hon. and learned Friend will then be in a better position to judge the seriousness of the problem. Meanwhile, I hope that he will consider the suggestions that I have made so that accidents such as those which happened to Sally Glennan and Rachel Lloyd may become a thing of the past.
§ 2.5 pm
§ The Under-Secretary of State for Employment (Mr. David Waddington)My hon. Friend the Member for Birmingham, Northfield (Mr. Cadbury) has raised a matter of considerable importance. He has also raised a number of detailed aspects of the problem. I am sure that he will forgive me if I do not remember to deal with each of those matters in my speech. If I miss any, I shall write to him afterwards.
The plain fact is that the use of escalators in public places is increasing. We must therefore see that they are as safe as possible. Unfortunately, my hon. Friend is quite right. There have been a few serious accidents, including the one suffered in 1978 by the child to whom my hon. Friend has referred—a girl of 3, the daughter of one of his constituents, who slipped on an escalator and got her wellington boot stuck. I am told that the cut-out worked immediately, but she still suffered a painful injury with some permanent disfigurement.
Happily, serious accidents are rare. In referring to the accident record, I should mention that since the coming into force of the Notification of Accidents and Dangerous Occurrences Regulations 1980 on the 1 January 1981, escalator accidents causing death or major injury must be reported immediately to the enforcing authority—the Health and Safety Executive or the local authority, as the case may be. Before 1 January, many major users were not required to report, but two years ago several large stores 1042 and organisations made their accident statistics available to the HSE. Those statistics enable me to tell the House that the safety record is good.
Most accidents are minor, involving shock, bruises and cuts, generally resulting from falls. As one might expect, they tend to happen to the very young and the elderly, as do most accidents on ordinary stairs. A small number of minor accidents are special to escalators, such as hands or feet being pinched or cut through becoming trapped, but only a few more serious injuries involving severe laceration and muscle damage are caused in the same way.
Detailed statistics for 1981 are being extracted in response to my hon. Friend's written request some while ago, and I shall let him have them as soon as possible. A preliminary search has identified only four serious accidents during the year. One involved a boy of 7 whose wellington boot became stuck to the step of an escalator in a shop and he was thrown off at the end, breaking his leg. In another shop accident, a woman of 55 tripped and fell, breaking her kneecap. A third accident occurred on British Rail when one woman pushed another down an escalator. In a fourth, also on British Rail, two passengers collided and one fell and broke her leg.
I believe that the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act has made firms more aware of their obligations to warn members of the public as well as their own employees. There is little doubt that manufacturers, too, are aware of their duty under section 6 of the Act to provide safe equipment. Indeed, in recent years, better design, increased use of warning notices and signs and better placing of emergency stops have been clearly seen.
There has been a British standard for the manufacturing of escalators since 1969. That is a voluntary design standard but it is generally observed by manufacturers and has contributed to the good safety record. However, some manufacturers have voluntarily gone beyond that and achieved even safer designs, as was mentioned by my hon. Friend the Member for Northfield.
British suppliers have also been collaborating with the European committee for standardisation, the CEN—I will not risk using my French—to produce a common European standard—the EN 115, which is much more detailed and comprehensive than the British Standard but does not have vastly different safety requirements. The main improvements are a trip guard at the end of the hand rail, a cut out if the comb-plates get jammed and emphasis on warning signs and pictographs.
My hon. Friend the Member for Northfield said that he was disappointed that microswitches and skirt guards were not included in the EN 115. The skirt guards, with the microswitches, are now fitted on all escalators in Marks and Spencer stores and reports indicate that they have caused no problems. Although they do not prevent trapping, they do prevent injury by quickly stopping an escalator and they were strongly argued for by our British representatives on the CEN committee. Therefore, the Health and Safety Executive will support the skirt guard when the standards are considered by the BS committee.
Warning lines are not liked by European countries which prefer warning signs and pictographs, but they are in general use in the United Kingdom. The HSE regard them as useful and, again, I can tell my hon. Friend that it would support their inclusion in British standards. We again argued for that to be done in the European committee but were unsuccessful in our efforts to have that included.
1043 The European standard requires that emergency stop buttons be conspicuously placed and easily accessible at or near landings and says that on long escalators—over 12 metres rise—additional points are required. My hon. Friend advocates more stop buttons than that, and that will be pursued by the HSE with the BSI, but it needs careful consideration. The counter-argument is a strong one—that inadvertent or mischievous operation of an emergency stop button can cause serious danger to other passengers; the more stop buttons on an escalator, the greater the chance of malicious use.
I am told that the use of low-friction paint or materials is already covered by the European standards, which require the use of certain material to prevent trapping, but I shall consider the matter more closely in the light of my hon. Friend's remarks.
I have already touched on special warning notices. European standards require that each country can require warning notices if they think that they will be useful. Pictorial warning notices are not all that easy to devise and I was discussing that yesterday with my officials. We racked our brains to think of a pictograph that could bring home to people that they should not travel on escalators when wearing soft shoes. It is not always easy to find a pictograph that conveys the message one would wish to convey.
The European standard will be finally voted on in January, and if accepted it will take effect six months later. It will then be up to us to produce a new British standard into which the requirements of the European standard are translated. But, as I have already demonstrated, it will be open to us to introduce what are called "national options". In other words, we can make variations provided that the standard is not lowered and that we give notice of those variations.
I shall ask the Health and Safety Executive's representatives on the British Standards Committee to see that all the points raised by my hon. Friend are thoroughly considered. If they offer a significant increase in safety without imposing excessive costs on the manufacturer and the user, I am sure that they can be adopted.
I accept that escalator safety needs to be kept under review, and also what my hon. Friend had to say about training of staff. My understanding is that sections 2 to 4 of the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 require employers to look to this matter. The HSE has already planned a detailed study of accidents during 1982 to see what further lessons might be learnt.
I do not see—although this has sometimes been asked for—that there is a need for the British Standard to be incorporated in a code of practice. It is already observed and an inspector can refer to it in deciding whether proper precautions have been observed. For the same reason, I do not consider that new regulations are necessary. I am, however, confident that if, after the accident study, the HSE think any further action is necessary, it will not hesitate to propose it.