Tips to be given for escalator riders

In Hong Kong, the government and some famous public enterprises, such as MTR, have been looking for effective way to minimize or control the accident rate in escalators. Within the rate, children may have more escalator accidents in part because they bounce around when they stand on escalators, instead of watching where they place their feet. During the past 18 months, I carried out 43 reports of escalator accidents; those have most part involved young children and elderly riders. In fact, falls on escalator are a major source of injuries for passengers, passengers fall on escalator for a number of reasons, such as tripping while walking up or down, misuse of shopping cart on escalator, and losing balance in the passage of time. I am unwilling to write such report like the above-mentioned reasons because in my opinion, based upon the standards applicable to all escalators in Hong Kong and upon the knowledge that escalator manufacturers have had for years, there should never be any serious injuries involving in the passage of time. However, escalator accidents with human factors are not difficult to be seen nowadays. Perhaps the following some examples of the escalator accidents of recent one year will help make the cautions more memorable.

.

Escalator Accident (Example1)

District: Wong Tai Sin

Detailed Description of accident and damage incurred

On January 11, 2013, an 85-year-old woman (the victim) used the escalator (Escalator No. 5) to go down to UG level of the mall, when she travelled at her half-ride, she suddenly lost her balance and she rolled forward until to the bottom of the escalator as captured by the CCTV camera being installed at top of the UG level, the footage captured the partial course of the incident that the victim started to roll downwards against the bottom of the escalator, it was not clearly known where the exactly location of the victim fell was due to the camera’s setting but the security staff who provided information had supplemented the incident.

.



 .

In the short chip, several passengers ahead of the victim on the escalator, there was a long distance (about 10 steps long) separated from the elderly woman and those passengers who were ahead her. This was a deadly case as no people could be buffering while she rolled forward, she tumbled to the bottom of the escalator just a terrifying few seconds. Someone quickly ran back to help the victim and someone pressed the emergency stop button to stop the moving escalator, other passengers assisted the victim to sit upright and half-carried her to lean against the right balustrade of the escalator as shown in the chip. From the security staff’s information, the elderly woman had a blooding wound on her head back, and was found bruised on right knee in the accident.

.

At the time, the security staff of the plaza was notified the incident happened and called the Ambulance immediately. After minutes, the ambulance staff arrived at the scene to her aid (it was recorded at 11:45 a.m.), the victim was moved on a stretcher and sent to the nearby hospital for medical treatment at approximately 12:00 p.m.

.

Conclusion:

Apropos of the cause of the accident, it was due to the victim who lost her balance in the ride, she fell on the escalator until tumbling to the bottom of the escalator.

.

Escalator Incident (Example 2)

District: Tuen Mun

Detailed Description of accident and damage incurred

On February 24, 2013, a 67-year-old man (the victim) accessed the escalator (Escalator No. 3) at level 3; he was with his shopping cart loaded a pack of red-wines and intended to go down the bottom (the level 2 of the mall). When he was about one-thirds of the way down the escalator, he suddenly lost his footing and was tumbled by the shopping cart of which the carton of red-wine was placed unevenly that caused the victim to take a fall. The escalator was stopped in the event after the victim’s body and the cart hit to the bottom comb-plate by activating the comb-plate safety switch of the escalator. As per the record time of the plaza’s surveillance camera, this happened around 15:45 p.m. From the short chip, it captured only the partial course of the accident that the victim carrying a shopping cart accessed the escalator from the level 3 of the said plaza; the man’s cart carried a carton of red-wine (approximately 12 bottles are packaged) that the carton was most likely not even in the cart’s bracket resulted an unbalance gravity from the front of the cart while he reached at the inclined portion of the travel. According to the building management information, the victim required three (3) stitches on his left hand’s little finger which had a large gash along the last joint of his finger. He was injured by fragments of the wine bottles which broken in the fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

.

▲The victim accessed the escalator at the level 3; he was with his shopping cart loaded a pack of red-wines and intended to go down the bottom of the escalator. When he was about one-thirds of the way down the escalator, he suddenly lost his footing and was tumbled to the bottom.

.

At the time, the security staff of the plaza was notified the incident happened and called the Ambulance at once. Minutes after the accident, the ambulance staff arrived at the scene to treat the victim (the arrival time was at 16:00 p.m. as the security staff recorded), the victim was brought to the Tuen Mun Hospital for medical treatment at the time of 16:15 p.m.

 .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 .

▲According to the security staff’s information, the victim suffered a cut on the back of his left hand near little finger by the glass fragments and was bleeding in the accident, the victim required three (3) stitches on his left hand’s little finger which had a large gash along the last joint of his finger.

.

Conclusion:

The old man should not use the escalator when he travelled with a shopping cart or bulky luggage, he should use a lift.

.

Escalator Incident (Example 3)

District: Tai Po

Detailed Description of accident and damage incurred

At the occurrence time of 09:52 a.m. on February 27, 2013, a 68-year-old woman used the escalator alone (Escalator No. 3, it is an up-running escalator, served from 1 level (L1) to 2 level (L2)) to go up the level 2. As per the management officer’s information, the elderly woman who was giddy and felt not well, she then fell on the escalator by losing her footing while she was at the step-distance measured from the lower teeth to the fourth step away. Fortunately, there was a passers-by witnessed the incident happened and he pushed the escalator’s emergency stop button to stop the escalator operation. As reported, the elderly woman was not seriously damaged, she had just a blooding wound on her head back, and was found bruised on left elbow. 

..

Conclusion:

Apropos of the cause of the accident, it was due to the victim who lost balance during the ride.

.

 .

Escalator Incident (Example 4)

District: Kwai Chung

Detailed Description of incident and damage incurred

At 14:37 p.m. on March 24, 2013, a twenty-something-year-old lady (the victim) used the down-running escalator (Esc no. 9) to go down to Level 1 of the mall. The lady was injured in the incident after she fell on the escalator. It happened at a famous shopping mall located in Kwai Chung. According to the plaza’s surveillance videos’ information, the first chip captured the lady accessed the said escalator at Level 2 with hurried walk; she even walked on the moving steps and passed through other passengers while she was the way down the escalator. The second chip was captured by the another camera installed at the top of the Level 1 area, the chip showed that the victim suddenly lost her balance and then fell on the moving steps, this happened at 14:37:45 p.m. as per the record time of the plaza’s surveillance camera. Fortunately, there was at the time a passer-by witnessed the fall accident and he pressed at once the escalator emergency button to stop the escalator operation. From the security staff information, the lady was found bruised in her back after the fall accident.

.

Conclusion:

Riders need to be aware of the danger while they are travelling on the escalator, the victim should hold onto the handrail and stand on the step all the time during the ride instead of doing the risky passenger behavior such as walking on the moving escalator steps, this will increase the risk of passenger falls and affect to other passengers.

.

.

To avoid falling on the escalators, I will suggest the following tips:

- Make sure your shoelaces are tied and that you are not trailing a lace before getting on the escalator.

- Avoid the edges and sides of steps where your foot could be captured. Stand in the middle of the step.

- Always face forward and hold the handrail.

- Don't use escalators when you carry the lagguage or shopping cart.

- Do not permit children to sit or play on escalator steps.

- Don't walk, run or do any dangerous act during the travel of escalator.

- Accompany children or elderly on escalators; do not let them ride alone.

.
.
Prepared by Ken Ngan Chi Keung
RLE 418, REE390

Goldfish Eggs

The day on January 2, 2013, it was an amazing day that my RYUKIN goldfishes released thousands of fish eggs in the tank, the eggs stuck securely at the bottom where they were laid on. As a new comer, some known and some unknown about hatching fry that have happened and will certainly happen in the coming several days, or several weeks if the incubation process could be getting on the line. Why I say “some known”, it is because I have a modest experience in breeding different specimens of tropical fishes, those experience included breeding Asia Dragon Fishes (I had 3 when I was 13), Japanese variegated carps (more than 30 as of year 2010 since I was 20), piranha (Caribes) and hoplias malabaricus (English Name: Tiger Tetra) etc. Basically, “some known” means some of my hobbies in breeding tropical fishes; and these two words are just regarded as what one has learned in his hobbies. As for the word “some unknown”, I have neither known so much about hatching fry nor to know how to care the fertilized eggs. That is why I say “some unknown”! For the sake of getting more understandings, I searched several famous websites and I was suggested to keep eyes on the eggs in terms of all instructions they posted there.  To me personally, It has been a good lecture for me to experience the case study in which I am expecting myself to have such real life chance as this in going through the incubation process that how a small egg can raise fry (small baby fish).

 

To achieve remarkable success, many important hints I have to get and I need to pay more attention to the incubation period for the critical days, usually the incubation process for a goldfish egg will take five to seven days, depending on the temperature of the water (the optimum temperature is 68F to 70F), said by the websites. Also, female goldfish in tanks will eat the eggs just like the “Black Moor”, this is same character as the majority of goldfish specimens. Because of this reason I removed at once the fish eggs from the bottom of tank while I found them in the tank. Luckily, I collected a thousand eggs or more from the tank (approximately 80 per cent of total numbers of eggs) in the first day's evening (say in the evening of January 2, 2013). Apart from this, I was also recommended to keep good eye on the eggs in the coming several days, the articles tell that some of the fish eggs could wind up with fungus if they are non-fertilized eggs, those eggs will the most likely to affect the rest of the eggs. They said as well that healthy eggs look like a glass ball which is transparent in colour while the non-fertilized eggs are white and most likely will get fungus, my duties in this Real Life Case Study are to refill fresh water each day and to remove the fungused eggs when they are in eggs.

 

 

 

 

In addition, when goldfishes are young it is impossible to know exactly what gender they are. It is not easier to observe the sexing goldfish before they reach maturity, the on-line information tells by looking at the shape of the vent, females may have rounder convex vent while males have thinner concave vent. In a Spawning Chase process, the male will swim behind and below the female for several hours, the male will get gradually more aggressive, as such act can stimulate the females to release her eggs. (Photo above shows that the Black colour-goldfish is chasing and hitting the female)

On 2 Jan 2013, (first day)

I collected a thousand eggs or more from the tank (approximately 80 per cent of total numbers of eggs) in the first day's evening.

Healthy eggs will look transparent in color like above pictures. But the non fertilized eggs will be white and most likely will get fungus.

On 6 January 2013 (four days later)

After four days I saw growth inside the goldfish eggs, a small black dot in the middle. After or around the seventh day, I guess that all the fry will start to come out of the eggs and stick to the green plants.

 

The people say that a good farmer who will not put all the eggs into a basket, they put into different basket instead. Therefore I separated partial eggs from the plastic inbubation case, and I put partial of them back into the fish tank where the temperature is kept at 20 to 25 degree as usual, and the water is full of air content in it.

TO BE CONTINUED

My African Clawed Frog "AH FAT"

About 14 months ago, I met my African clawed frogs at Tung Choi Street, Mong Kok, they are a species of South African aquatic frog and are found throughout most of Africa, but now african clawed frogs have been kept as pet or kept as feed for dragon fishes in Hong Kong. Its name is derived from the three short claws on each hind foot, which it uses to tear apart its food. My Africa Clawed Frogs are Albino species (White in color) and they have been kept as usual as pet in Hong Kong; my clawed frogs are different from the original species that are often green-grey in color in Africa's ponds and rivers. From the information, African clawed frogs can grow up to a length of 5 inches (12 cm), they have a flattened head and baby, they have no tongue and external ears. These frogs lack true ears but have lateral lines running down the length of the body and underside, which is how they can sense movements and vibrations in the water.

 

(English Name: Ah Fat, 中文名字: 肥嘢)

 

At my home, I have 8 African Clawed Frogs, one of them is nicknamed as “Ah Fat- 肥嘢 in Chinese”. Ah Fat (see above photo) likes eating very much and needs some more foods than other clawed frogs, She all day does not have enough exercise in the tank, and she unwilling to do exercise is for a variety of reasons. It is definitely a rule to Ah Fat that the best defense against infectious diseases is to build a good body resistance like human being. Having a balanced diet to an aquatic frog is quite important; also I highly recommend that Ah Fat needs to get enough exercise to maintain the level of fitness of her body. Honestly, Ah Fat is now an ugly and fat frog, (I have never seen such an ugly frog before!). Needless to say, Ah Fat has failed in her Body Mass Index (BMI).

 

 



 As a matter of fact, the average life-span of these frogs ranges from 5 to 15 years, if Ah Fat can get enough exercise to train up her body, and keep her diet each day, I extremely believe that Ah Fat can live up to 20 years or above. Please keep fit now, Ah Fat! 

 

A memorial to a GOOD Teacher

I would like to thank a good teacher- Dr. Peter Kwan of HKCE, who led me to pass in the professional review interview. Assisted by Dr. Kwan, I not only learned the skills for interview and presentation, but also my mind was enlightened. Definitely, his advice on my technical report and preparation for CEng's interview was very helpful.

 

Now, I am a coporate member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (MIMechE), and I have registered at UK Engineering Council as a Chartered Engineer. My success in this was due to Dr. Kwan's enthusiastic and effective teaching, so I made a poetry and gifted him a memorial as present. See below:

 

 Thanks

 

 

I am a Full member of IMechE and a CEng

Dear friends

I am pleased to share my happiness about my success in acquiring the UK Chartered Engineer qualification; Nothing to say, except the following:

.

Since the start of my Master Degree in 2008 my goal was to gain professional recognition as a Chartered Engineer. Before this post-graduate degree, I never gave up any of opporturnities the god offered to me. I learned from day-time on-job training, and also took different courses to extend my knowledge. Encouragingly, my effort was rewarded by a PTE-Ordinary Certificate together with a BTEC certificate in 1994, a PTE-Higher Certificate in 1997, a PTE- Higher Diploma in 1999, and a Bachelor honors degree in 2005. All this experience is in Mechanical Engineering.

With the above qualifications and my work experience in the field, I gained my professional registration as a Chartered Engineer (CEng) in July 2012 through a HK IMechE's professional interview which was held on 11 May 12. For me personally, this registration is extremely important for a number of reasons, i.e. it clearly demonstrates to my employer as well as colleagues that I am a recognized professional engineer with the high standards in both academic and engineering. Also, it can show I have a commitment to the engineering profession. I am truly honored to be one member of the IMechE’s family and to get registration in UK engineering council as their members.
.
It is worthwhile to become a Chartered Engineer because it is a honorable path for each person to experience!

MIMechE (Member of the Instutition of Mechanical Engineers)

Member No.: 80166291

Registered 2012

Best Regards



Ken Ngan Chi Keung, BEng(Hons), Msc (Eng), RLE (L418), REE (E390), CEng MIMechE

重情重義的一生

Dear friends,

.

I am certainly willing to post the following poetry on here as this was dedicated by my younger uncle (Uncle Andy) to his brother's memory (Uncle Wing Hung , he was my 2nd uncle, he had died in a bicyle accident in June this year). I like this poetry very much, I believe that this poetry is definitely a nice gift, to Uncle Wing and his family members.

.

Poetry to Mr. Chan Wing Hung

***********************

致榮雄二哥:

.

重情重義的一生,

樂於助人滿愛心,

竭盡一生為家人,

盡心盡意盡所能,

如今放下脫凡塵,

返回天國得永生,

榮耀稱讚歸予神,

雄渾歌聲滿載心,

主懷安息賜救恩,

神的恩典銘記心.

.

四弟富強留言

22-6-2012

*********************

Poetry from Chan Fu Keung

.
.

Best Regards and; In Him

To my uncle

Dear all friends of mine;

.

In the morning of 9 June 2012, it was an unexpected and painful morning to each member in my uncle’s family. That day reported a count of news that a man died in his bicycle trip in Ma On Shan, the man was my uncle!

My uncle, CHAN WING HUNG, who was a sincere, responsible and industrious man, aged 52 with many things he did in his entire life, and so many we have known and could see ahead of his age (He was born in August 1960, and died in June 2012)………Although we can never get him back, we can try to imagine that no other family has to endure this kind of pain and loss.

.

As far as I could understand, born, growing up and death are something natural which fall on everyone sooner or later--- born and growing up just as the sunshine after every shower or like bud that slowly blooms into lovely flowers. Also death is just as natural to be born and, perhaps, to a new-born baby. It is simply to say that born, growing up and death are the laws in nature.

.

What makes death so terrible? Is it “Men fear death as children fear to go in the dark”? In fact, human being living on land cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end…… said in Bible. I know that there is nothing better for a man than to be happy and do good while he lives. My uncle who had endeavored to do many and tried to build a high quality of life for his family before he left them, at least I know this! I believe that my uncle had found satisfaction in all his toil.

.

Physical death is not as terrible as most people think. It is just a journey in which no traveler comes back to tell you what is all about!

.

In Him 

.

Ecclesiastes 3: 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8

.

There’s a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven;

.

A time to be born and a time to die; (生有時, 死有時;)

A time to plant and a time to uproot; (栽種有時,拔出所栽種的也有時;)

A time to weep and a time to laugh; (哭有時, 笑有時;)

A time to search and a time to give up; (尋找有時, 失落也有時;)

A time to love and a time to hate; (喜愛有時, 恨怨有時;)

"2 ARE BETTER THAN 1" 兩個人總比一個人好

Dear friends:

-

As far as I could understand, growing up involves a process of both physiological and psychological changes such as changes in our body, moral, emotional as well as physical maturity. he or she will feel that it is really a wonderful feeling to feel himself, or herself grow, both physically and mentally; to learn and experience so many new and exciting things about life, also could learn to love, to accept, and to help others.

However, growing up is a long road in which we often find that we are facing a lot of problems which are too painful to face. Writting this article is to share something with you ALL, which is definitely meaningful and worth-learning, it was a sentence "Two are better than one" I learnt from a preacher on this Sunday. Indeed, there are so many things in the world that we are still ignorant of, e.g. two persons in a group is definitely better than a person doing a thing, but sometimes we like to do it alone for reasons (life is a great challenge which must be met, so is growing up), of course pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Contrary to a right point, two will have a good return for their work, if one falls down, his friend can help him up! It is a good thing that we need to learn in our growing up.

-

Best Regards

From Ecclesiates 4: 9-12

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work; if one falls down, his friend can help him up but pity the man who falls and has no one to help him!Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves; a cord of three strands is not quickly broken.