The WION YouTube channel shows that a passenger had her left leg amputated after she got stuck in a travelator. Doctors were unable to reattach her leg. Will the airport consider changing its old travelators? Molly Gambhir tells you more.
Read more about the story here:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12277967/Mother-leg-amputated-Bangkok-airport-travelator-takes-steps.html
A mother whose leg was crushed by a faulty airport mobile plane has taken her first steps again after having it amputated.
The 57-year-old woman walked today with the help of two physiotherapists and a frame at a hospital after the horrific injury at Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok, Thailand on June 29.
It comes as police are demanding that the owners of Thailand’s airports cooperate with an investigation into the incident after they refused to give CCTV officers what happened.
The woman was walking alongside the cart when her leg “fell through a hole” and was dragged downward, severing her muscles, tendons and bones, according to witnesses.
Paramedics amputated her leg at the airport and carried her out on a stretcher while they placed her limb in a foam box and loaded her into an ambulance.
The woman was walking alongside the cart when her leg ‘fell down a hole’ and was dragged downward, severing muscle, tendon and bone.
His son Kittirat said he complains “it’s like being a kid learning to walk again” and vowed to sue the airport over allegedly poor maintenance of the travelator.
He added: ‘My mother walked for 15 minutes and she must practice every day. She is very encouraging.
‘She’s still as beautiful as ever despite everything she’s been through. I hope that soon she will run faster than me.
Airport bosses conceded that the automated walkway used by tens of thousands of people every day was to blame, as three bolts holding the metal surface plate the woman was standing on suddenly gave way.
But police colonel Adirek Thongkaemkaew, police chief of the city’s Don Muang district, said the airport’s owners had yet to release evidence of the incident to security cameras.
Mr. Thongkaemkaew added that he would “keep repeating CCTV requests” while the force collected witness statements.
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Interesting statistics:
Elevator and escalator-related incidents kill about 30 people and seriously injure about 17,000 each year in the United States, according to data provided by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that an average of 6,000 people per year are injured on escalators.
More than 33,000 escalators and 900,000 elevators are in operation in the US Although the number of escalators is far fewer than the number of elevators, escalators account for 15 times as many injuries as elevators.
While escalator and elevator injuries are certainly terrifying, the overall odds that you’ll actually find yourself in one are still pretty small. In fact, according to research published in the American Journal of Emergency Medicine, stairs are the most common cause of injuries sustained when traveling between floors.
There are risks to escalators. If the steps and platforms are not designed correctly and are not made from the proper materials, they could simply cause one passenger to slip, and since the steps are moving, it could cause other passengers to fall on each other. Also, a wet or slippery spot on the escalator could cause passengers to trip or fall.
Keep hands, feet, and clothing away from the side panels of the escalator. Do not sit on the steps or stand near the sides of an escalator. Once you reach the bottom of an escalator, get off immediately. Don’t let your feet slide down the end of an escalator.
Do not go in the opposite direction of the escalator. Do not carry wheelchairs, electric scooters, strollers, handcarts, luggage carts, or similar items on the escalator. When riding escalators: Keep loose clothing off the steps and sides.
The longest escalator system in the world is Hong Kong’s Central Hillside Escalator Link. The 800 m. (2,624 ft) long covered moving walkway system transports commuters between the Mid-Levels district and the Central Market near the waterfront on Hong Kong Island.
There are approximately 900,000 elevators in the United States and the chance of being trapped in an elevator is 1 in 100,000 elevator trips.
Hold onto the railing or someone’s hand. This can help with your sense of balance and depth perception while on the escalator. Some people who suffer from a fear of escalators find that wearing practical, sturdy shoes while on an escalator can give them a sense of safety and comfort.
About 5 percent of the world’s population suffers from claustrophobia, according to Villines. When it comes specifically to elevators, those who suffer from them may fear not only malfunctions, but also the fear of experiencing a panic attack.
When you get on an escalator, you might not realize that it’s probably one of the biggest and most expensive machines you use on a regular basis. However, despite their size and cost, they are actually quite simple machines. Escalators are basically long conveyor belts.
Reno, a graduate of Lehigh University, produced the first working escalator (called an “inclined elevator”) and installed it next to Old Iron Pier at Coney Island, New York in 1896.
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