Escalator Safety: Pick up your pup!

It’s always said that dogs are man’s best friend and so we always enjoy having our little furry friend by our side wherever we go (as long as they are well behaved). Sometimes it is easy to forget that the world is very different place for our dogs with more dangers and for those who take their dogs into busy built up areas, an escalator is one of them!

D2E Lift Consultant, Dan Atkinson, recently witnessed a casualty when a small Yorkshire terrier was taken onto an escalator on the tube. When travelling on the tube every day, we may not notice the safety notices that are there to warn us and inform us of how to safely travel on the escalator, one of these being that dogs should be carried on escalators. Too far behind the dog owner to get her attention and warn her to pick up her pup, Dan sadly reported that the dogs paw was trapped at the bottom of the escalator without the owner noticing.

Once off the escalator he caught up with the dog and its owner. Dan said “Following behind I noticed the dog limping and as I got closer blood pouring from its back leg, I advised the lady owner of the injury and she was oblivious, shocked and not realising the severity jumped on the tube anyway. The dogs foot was badly hurt, luckily I had a pack of tissues to stem the flow, she got off the next stop very distraught stating "I don't know what happened, we do this journey every day???"”.

Moral of the story, pick up your pup when you travel on escalators! And check out the safety signage, which also include;

• Hold the handrail
• Dogs must be carried
• No pushchairs (try to use a lift instead)
• Hold hands with children

For more information on escalator safety or to find out about our escalator safety masterclass, please contact us at info@d2e.com