Escalator Death and Injury Incident Statistics in Japan

A woman in her 80s died after her neck became trapped under the handrail at the bottom of an escalator at a supermarket in Nishitokyo on Wednesday June 12th 2024.

The incident follows an incident in March at JR Mito Station, northeast of Tokyo, in which a man in his 70s died from suffocation after his suit jacket became ensnared in an escalator handrail.

Following the incident in Nishitokyo , it was reported in the The Asahi Shimbun that:

“[A]ccording to a survey conducted by the Consumer Affairs Agency and others, fatal accidents involving escalators were recorded at least seven times from June 2004 through March 2024.The Japan Elevator Association reported the number of accidents involving escalators was 1,550 during the two years from 2018 to 2019, which is two times higher than the number 15 years ago.”

Episode Notes:

‘Japan’s Consumer Affairs Agency Reported Seven Fatal Accidents Involving Escalators Over Last 20 Years and 1,550 Accidents Between 2018 to 2019’:

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/06/15/japans-consumer-affairs-agency-reported-seven-fatal-accidents-involving-escalators-over-last-20-years-and-1550-accidents-between-2018-to-2019/

‘Elderly woman dies as neck caught under Tokyo store’s escalator rail’: 

https://barrierfreejapan.com/2024/06/13/elderly-woman-dies-as-neck-caught-under-tokyo-stores-escalator-rail/