ST Forum (Unpublished)-Questions upon the loss of a big toe
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Letter to ST Forum Page (Now Published) - Questions upon the loss of a big toe
Dear All
I had on noon of 6th November 2006, written a stinging letter to the Straits Times Forum Page in an attempt to provoke some critical thinking on the part of the relevant authorities on the escalator incident which resulted in the loss of a toddlerÂ’s right big toe.
The injury was a serious one as it physically impaired the toddler for the whole of her life! Henceforth and such incidents must be prevented!
The Straits Times Forum Page again failed to publish my stinging letter. Coincidentally, the reporter who reported on the incident produced a further report which seemed to point blame on the rubber footwear of the toddler.
The report appearing on todayÂ’s Straits Times differs from the yesterdayÂ’s in 4 areas:
1. Expert points his finger to footwear (significant increase in “side entrapments”);
2. toe was found 2 ½ hours later => too late for surgical reattachment as opposed to too badly damaged to be reattached as reported yesterday.
3. Safety strips and PVC bristles as a possible solution;
4. Sembawang Town Council saying that it will install more safety switches.
But was the lack of safety switches the cause of the loss of the toe?
If one pays close attention, the “rubber shoe” of the toddler seems very much different from the “rubber clog” which the expert Mr. C. C. Toh had used to demonstrate the culpability of such footwear.
My sources tell me that the Mainstream Chinese Press LianHe Zaobao had in today’s issue carried another report of a similar accident in which the SCDF performed with dramatic improvement in response time of “immediate response and freeing the 2yr old in 10 mins” for a Tampines Mall incident.
The combined effect of these reports essentially direct the finger pointing away from the Town Council. Escalator supplier, escalator manufacturer and the SCDF.
As I have said previously ad nauseam, I am a proponent of free speech and critical thinking and I will not be silenced by elements of the mainstream press or whoever and all the more so if I have very pertinent questions have yet be answered.
The essence of my concern is this: How can we be sure that our SCDF, Town Councils will be able to handle the next escalator or elevator (lift) accident?
To cut the long story short, I hereby now append my letter dated 6th November 2006 to ST Forum Page (Unpublished) to fire up some critical thinking.
“Letter to ST Forum Page – Questions upon the loss of a big toe.
I refer to the report on the front page of the Straits Times of 6th November 2006 on the Mall Escalator Accident reported by Ms Tanya Fong.
It was revealed that the paramedics arrived at the scene 25 mins after the incident. I am unaware of when the emergency call was actually made as it is not apparent from the report. The paramedics contacted the Sembawang Town Council 10 mins after and the technician arrived only after a further 45 mins.
It must be noted that the technicianÂ’s arrival did not seem to speed things up more as the toddlerÂ’s clog and severed toe were only found 1 hour and 15 mins after the technicianÂ’s arrival.
In so far as the matter is deemed as an accident, and that such an accident has happened twice, I now request the relevant authorities to explain what has been done since August when the first of such incidents happened. In short, what has been done since then to make escalators safer for young children in order to ensure as safe as possible a passage and commute by our citizens in our own country.
In the light of the latest incident, I further request the relevant authorities to disclose what further steps they intend to take in order to avoid the occurrence of and to mitigate the damaging effects of such accidents if they ever occur again.
The authorities must understand that the incident resulted in the loss of the big toe of a young toddler, little appendage which from my understanding is crucial to a personÂ’s ability to balance her body in day to day life. This incident caused permanent disability to a young girl, and a loss which will follow her throughout her life.
The establishment prides itself for having run a tight ship and possessing the requisite foresight to deal with potential problems. This incident provides an excellent opportunity for the relevant authorities to tighten up their loose ends, if any.
In this incident, there exists a question of potential liability on the part of the relevant authority for the injury and disability caused by the escalator. However, this is a separate issue. In any event, to strive for improvement, steps must be taken forward.
The first incident caused no injury. The second and latest incident caused the loss of a toddlerÂ’s big toe. I shiver to imagine the outcome of the next incident. I hereby stress to the relevant authorities that the lesson to be drawn from these incidents would be to take these incidents as warnings of a potentially more damaging mishap in the future.
In this case, I presume that the SCDF officers present at the scene found the toddlerÂ’s toe once the steel stair panels were removed. I do not question the competence of the SCDF officers whom I presume are properly trained.
However, despite being properly trained by SCDFÂ’s standards, the officers were obviously ill placed to deal with the situation and they were rendered hopelessly ineffective. We will recall that in this incident, they had to depend entirely on another person, the escalator technician, who not a member of their emergency service to complete his task before they could start theirs.
The time taken to contact the technician, for him to respond, for him to arrive at the site and perform his task of unlocking the steel stair panels was a staggering 130 mins or 2 hours and 10 mins. This was more than enough for a soccer match to run its full course, go into extra time and sudden death.
Reading Tanya FongÂ’s report of the incident left me with a sick feeling in the stomach, a surreal pain in my right toe and several questions in mind.
The toe was severed for almost 3 hours before medical staff evaluated it. Would it have been possible to save ShiyrÂ’s toe if it was found earlier, packed in ice and rushed to the hospital? Would a faster response time have helped?
If the escalator so damaged the toe beyond rescue that it would not have mattered if the toe were found earlier. Then my question would be: if escalators have been proven to be so damaging a contraption. What can and will be done to make them safer?
Furthermore, as Singapore is densely populated and jam-packed with multi-storied buildings where escalators and lifts abound islandwide, would it not be an apt time now to set up a properly trained quick response medical and rescue team competent enough to tear apart an escalator / lift system to deal with such accidents involving our escalators and (I shiver to venture) our lifts?
Members of the public, both foreigners and citizens alike would be keen to know of the plans and measures intended to be taken. I await eagerly the substantive response from the relevant authorities.
Chia Ti Lik”
Dear All, as of this morning 8th November 2006, the ST Forum Page has published the letter in its edited version. See also my clarification posting below. -
hmm...maybe your response is too long?
you should make it more concised and focused and state the most important points.
Also try not to be too stinging on the letter.
I have seen many powerful replies made in Today etc who responded tactfully and yet is able to convey the message through and created resonance among the readers. 
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ST Forum got was it 400 word limit, maybe that's why it didn't get thru.
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thats it..
i'm takin the stairs from today.... when i go home from work..
a few times i almost fell cos the ppl in front of me weren't movin and the ppl behind me were starting to push me cos they couldn back away...
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It is so easy to blame the Building Management, the Equipment Supplier, and lastly (or rightly) the Rescue Team.
The ultimate responsibility lies with the Parents or Adults who was or were accompanying the Children.
This escalator accident or incident has been well publicised in the past, and has resulted in similar injuries to toes, and some even to pride when the saris, sarong, or evening gowns were caught by the moving steps.
The father was featured in the Channel NewsAsia report, and confirmed my suspicion of inattentive parent(s) - who were obviously taking in the sights and sounds of a shopping mall, and OBLIVIOUS to the ever present dangers of various situation to the innocent ones.
He proudly claimed that he had his young son on one side, and the little daughter on the other side, leading both of them by their hands; and would never allow any one of them to fool around on the escalator.
Unfortunately, he failed to notice the sharp jagged teeth that meshed together when each "moving step" folds and disappear into the escalator frame work.
The accident was waiting to happen with the type of soft shoes worn by that little toddler, which can so easily get "clawed" by the jagged teeth of the moving escalator step that meshed into each step, as it folds inwards.
The warning for escalator users is for everyone to stand in the middle of the yellow painted rectangle painted on every piece of the moving floor board.
It is clear that the parent was OBLIVIOUS to the warning instruction to the moving dangers and allowed both his children to stand on both side of his big framed body, where the danger is MOST PRONOUNCED at the side of the YELLOW PAINTED BOX.
For this accident, it is clearly the responsibility lay with the parent, who IGNORED BASIC COMMONSENSE to be on the lookout for dangers to his own children.
Every moving piece of machine or man made equipment can be a help to human kind, but it can also cause serious injury when not carefully used.
Closing the door of a car is a natural instinct.
How many of us actually will take care and observe if anyone is holding on to the door frame while attempting to balance oneself while getting out and up from a very comfortable ride ?
How many times have fingers been caught as someone careless slammed the door while someone else's fingers were holding the center door post of the car ?
COMMON SENSE is not so common afterall. -
everyday the escalator so many ppl use bo tai ji
suddenly one girl tio tai ji then become a national tai ji
i think the bulk of the responsibility shd be on the parents....
dun let the child stand near the side, or play on the escalator......
parents are like that one......of cos they will not blame themselves or the child.....so have to blame the poor escalator tt can't defend itself....or the building management.....
i have seen parents who let their kids run amok in public places....they are busying doing their own thing......they know their kids are running around creating nuisances but they no say a word
but if something happens.....like boy fall down.....u sure hear the parent yelling...."ah boy ah! i told u not to run around right? why neber listen to me?!"
but all the while i neber hear the parent telling the boy not to run around or try to stop him............. -
After this incident, you can be sure additional signage will be added at all shopping mall escalators to mind your children.
As typical parents, more will now become paranoid after this incident and will literally hold their kids 'on a virtual leash' when using an escalator. Perhaps parents might insist their children to wear safety boots when boarding escalators?
Funny that it takes an accident like this before parents take notice. Wonder what would happen to the building management staff if an MP's child had their toe severed in such circumstances....
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i dont understand why they are unwilling to publish such letters?
what could be the reason???? -
400 word limit, 400 word limit.Originally posted by dragg:i dont understand why they are unwilling to publish such letters?
what could be the reason???? -
Besides the "400 word limit" - the direction of the letter seems to hint that "the Authority" is somewhat at fault.Originally posted by dragg:i dont understand why they are unwilling to publish such letters?
what could be the reason????
Unfortunately, was anyone else at fault for the accident caused to the Child ?
The escalator was not malfunctioning.
Clear and unambiguous instructions exist and printed on the glass panel at the beginning of the escalator.
The fact of the matter is that we simply switch off our senses as a result of familiarity to the common and instinctive use of modern day conveniences, and become numb to the dangers UNTIL our own carelessness result in TRAGEDY.
No one else is to be blamed, except for the young and ignorant parent - who was not alert to the dangers surrounding him or those in his care. -
Reports from KK hospital shows that every month there are 2 cases on injury caused by escalator. Average age 6 yrs old. Youngest 4 months old.Originally posted by FireIce:everyday the escalator so many ppl use bo tai ji
suddenly one girl tio tai ji then become a national tai ji
i think the bulk of the responsibility shd be on the parents....
dun let the child stand near the side, or play on the escalator......
parents are like that one......of cos they will not blame themselves or the child.....so have to blame the poor escalator tt can't defend itself....or the building management.....
i have seen parents who let their kids run amok in public places....they are busying doing their own thing......they know their kids are running around creating nuisances but they no say a word
but if something happens.....like boy fall down.....u sure hear the parent yelling...."ah boy ah! i told u not to run around right? why neber listen to me?!"
but all the while i neber hear the parent telling the boy not to run around or try to stop him.............
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Dear All
It has been brought to my attention this morning that:
1. the Chinese newspaper which reported on the 3rd incident yesterday was Lianhe Zaobao;
2. another Chinese newspaper which seemed to point the finger at the rubber “Croc” shoes was “My Paper”; and
3. the ST Forum Page has published my letter this morning, albeit in an edited version Hence, apologies to ST Forum Page for jumping the gun. However, my questions and concerns raised in my original letter and posting here remain. Hence, this update instead of an edited posting.
Cheers to All and Freedom of Speech
Ti Lik -
couldn't agree more, responsibility for child safety should fall on the parents.Originally posted by FireIce:everyday the escalator so many ppl use bo tai ji
suddenly one girl tio tai ji then become a national tai ji
i think the bulk of the responsibility shd be on the parents....
dun let the child stand near the side, or play on the escalator......
parents are like that one......of cos they will not blame themselves or the child.....so have to blame the poor escalator tt can't defend itself....or the building management.....
i have seen parents who let their kids run amok in public places....they are busying doing their own thing......they know their kids are running around creating nuisances but they no say a word
but if something happens.....like boy fall down.....u sure hear the parent yelling...."ah boy ah! i told u not to run around right? why neber listen to me?!"
but all the while i neber hear the parent telling the boy not to run around or try to stop him............. -
This is an unusual form of injury that is taking place that doesn't usually happen before. The SCDF hadn't been trained to respond to such things, and hence had to wait for the crew to arrive that could take apart the whole thing.
The whole rubber cog thing is valid though... any footwear that could get easily sucked into machinery is a bad thing to have around machinery without the features to prevent such a thing... they really should start doing something about it. -
Blame your rubber shoes if you can ride the escalator
So if you can't swim, blame your swimming trunks?
What the hell are these people thinking nowadays? I really really hate this SG mentality and guffment. -
cant they just summarise?Originally posted by ditzy:400 word limit, 400 word limit.