Given the recent spate of lift accidents and the new regulations due soon, it is also timely to have new rules on escalator safety ("New BCA rules to ensure safety of escalators"; July 9).

There have been a few escalator incidents in the past, and the Building and Construction Authority's new comprehensive regulations will assure users that safety measures will be in place.

Some past escalator accidents involved:

- Children's footwear being wedged in moving escalators;

- Escalator steps suddenly breaking apart;

- An escalator jerking backwards, causing users to lose their balance.

These days, it is common to see people with their eyes glued to their gadgets, which could lead to accidents on escalators.

Escalator maintenance crews should be reminded not to be distracted by their gadgets while carrying out their duties. Any negligence in maintenance could have serious consequences in the event of an escalator accident.

Maintenance work should, as far as possible, be carried out only during non-peak hours to avoid crowd bottlenecks at, say, crowded malls or train platforms.

In the interest of safety, users, especially children and the elderly, should always hold on to the escalator handrails.

Andrew Seow Chwee Guan