The number of elevators exceeds escalators by a factor of 20, yet there are almost the same number of accidents for both machines. This means that you are almost 20 times more likely to have an accident on an escalator compared to an elevator.

The severity of accidents on escalators is also far greater, with many accidents requiring hospitalization, and extensive recuperation. The majority of elevator accidents, however, are relatively minor - persons being struck by the door, or tripping on the sill plate.

But more shocking than the number of accidents is the fact, conveyed by a 1978 department store study, that only 15% of accidents are attributable to ‘unsafe acts’, which means that upto 85% may be preventable.

Accidents fall into two main categories: Entrapments, which are usually the most severe and account for 20% of all accidents; and falls which contribute to about 75% of all incidents.