Cleaning Escalators- Tough and Rough?

Escalators are moving staircases which ease people’s anxiety in having to walk up a flight of steps. Escalators are mostly put to specific location where an elevator is impractical to use. It can also be doubled as a normal staircase when not in motion or if it broke down. In the old days escalators can only be seen and used in buildings or malls, now escalators are strategically placed on location which are easily accessible to people. Government buildings, railway stations, subways, airports, and even pedestrian crossings (e.g. over pass and under pass) are some public places that have escalators.

The convenience brought about by escalator to the moving populace has earned wide- spread recognition from people coming from all walks of life. This spread of moving device for carrying people between floors of a building has provided easy expediency especially at times when regular stairways are a long way to use.  Escalators are widely used all over the world where elevators would be unworkable. Escalators are important means of transporting people inside huge soaring buildings like hotels, malls and department stores and airports. Basically, escalators are one of the primary things customers will observe when entering a hotel or an airport. Despite how sparkling the other parts of the structure are, if the escalator is untidy people at once can catch an unconstructive notion of the facility.

For the escalators to function normally and to avoid breakdowns it needs periodic maintenance especially its steps. It is very important that escalator steps are cleaned religiously. This is needed to prevent accumulation of dirt build up that can cost expensive repairs and maintenance. escalator cleaning should be scheduled at least twice a year for it to maintain its functionality and to cut down on expensive escalator cleaning cost. So, how does the cleaning person we see in the mall wiping the escalators clean them? The answer is that only professionals are allowed to maintain and clean the escalators thoroughly. Mall operators or building administrators need to hire cleaning professional to be able to do the job that needs to be done. The biggest task that those people are facing is how to clean the escalator step. An escalator step is one part of the escalator that needs tough cleaning. 

There were some attempts to clean by hand yet it only proved that such method is time consuming and laborious. As specialist take apart to let for expert cleaning, it was found out that it is more costly and inconvenient way since it takes an escalator out of action for several days. Eventually, difficult job of cleaning escalator by hand program has been dropped and discontinued very quickly and some damages incurred such as flooding the motor or breaking major components of the escalator has been noticed.

Today cleaning escalators is no longer done in traditional way; thankfully the simple solution that can put the terrible issue of escalator cleaning is now within reach. It is significant that the service man or company who will perform escalator cleaning is certain that they do the cleaning of escalators without damaging the powder coatings or scratching the surface. Escalator cleaning must also be done at nighttime to keep away from any unpreventable disturbance to the everyday function of the company or business. 

Importance of Escalator Step Cleaning

Portraying the right image for a business is as important as selling the quality goods and offering the right service. If you do not look professional then there are chances that many people are not going to count on you much. The interiors and exteriors of workplaces, the cleanliness such as escalator step cleaning can attract more prospects than we really know.

Every business requires a person to vacuum the rug, clean the bathroom, and take out the trash every single day and escalator step cleaning. Commercial cleaning service providers can do the job for you. These companies can do the clean and maintain facilities for any type of business. It doesn't matter how big or small your company is when you need professional cleaning, commercial cleaners are just a phone call away.

Cleaning firms come in all shapes and sizes. Depending on your requirements and specific needs, you can either take advantage of the service offered by these shops or choose to go with national chains. The most important consideration is to choose a firm that is licensed and insured. This will protect your property from damage and theft. To give you a better idea to the commercial cleaning services you can get, we have outlined the services into basic and special sections.

Basic Commercial Cleaning Services

This mainly encompasses janitorial duties. Basic commercial cleaning is ideal for businesses with less than 25 employees. Ideally, you can get someone to take out the trash 2-3 times a week. Businesses can also pay for occasional vacuuming.

If you are interested in special cleaning services, it is important to book in advance. It should also be noted that a number of cleaners require their clients to sign a long-term contract before performing these labor-intensive tasks. If you merely want a one-time deal, then it may take longer to find a firm that is willing to do the job. Expect to pay more as well.

There are a lot of commercial escalator step cleaning services that are competing for your business. You will have your choice of small and local organizations as well as national chains. Both have pros and cons. Small firms tend to offer a more personalized service. However, they are limited in terms of equipments and may not be able to offer larger services.

Training, Expertise and Experience

These three attributes allow one to enjoy high cleaning standards. Residential and commercial cleaning professionals are made to undergo extensive training before they are hired on the job. They are trained in different cleaning procedures and in the use of varied cleaning equipment and chemicals. To add, their experience in different settings enables them to come up with a customized cleaning that meets the specific needs of individual clients. Besides this, they generally work in teams doing an efficient job in a very small amount of time.

On the other hand, large escalator step Cleaning companies have the expertise, equipment, and manpower to do the job. Because of their technologically advanced equipments, it takes less time to clean your facility. Most nationwide chains are also equipped to deal with specialized concerns. The downside is that they also tend to charge more.

Escalator Handrails and the Safety Factor

The one important use of escalator handrails is mainly to provide a handhold for the escalator passengers. At its most ideal, the handrails should be strong enough and they are to move in synchronization with the movement and speed of the steps.

For one, the handrails cannot move slower or faster than the steps. Any deviation with the speed of either the step or the handrails would result in making its passengers off-balanced.

The synchronization (moving at the same speed) of the steps and the handrails make for a smooth ride. 

Composition 

Since it is a special part in the whole system, the handrails are made of four (4) sections, each of which has a functional purpose. Together, they make up for a combined function that characterizes the handrails’ importance. 

The handrail’s center (known as the glider ply) or a slider in everyday parlance is made of cotton or some man-made cloth. Like its name, the purpose is to make the handrail move smoothly on its tracks as it is pulled by a chain through a series of pulleys from the main drive gear.

Steel cables

The next layer, the tension member, is made of steel cable or some flat steel that gives it flexibility coupled with its built-in strength. This is located on top of the tension member which is a bunch of other construction components found in the inner part of the handrail. 

They are all manufactured from chemically-treated rubber that prevents separation of the parts.

Safeguards 

At the outermost layer, is the cover that everyone sees. The combination of polymers and rubber makes it resistant to wear and tear and overall degradation. Normally, the body materials for escalator handrails are usually made of glossy chlorosulfonated polyethylene.

These are usually protected against ultraviolet light, high temperature, and ozone concentration. The cover rubber, on the other hand, is made of styrene butadiene. This specially-treated rubber is better than natural rubber. 

This type has been proven for its resistance to high temperature which are typical especially on models and units that are in operation 24/7 (all the daytime hours). It also is treated against degradation caused by oil, aging and natural wear abrasion.

Manufacturing process

The handrails are manufactured in the factory with the feeding of the rubber materials through an extrusion machine which produces the many layers in the right sizes and types as specifically ordered. These machines are all computer-controlled to keep away from man-made errors.

After which, the human factor only comes in when these machine-made layers are then shaped and fed into presses by skilled workers. The layers of rubber, steel and fabric are then fused together and form into the handrails that we know and see.

Sometime ago, it is composed of rubber bellows with smooth metal bracelets stringing together each bellow section that were a few feet long. (The idea is simple repair or replacement if a section fails.) Today escalator handrails are now made with fabric, steel and rubber railings that completely fit into one whole rotating mold.

Escalator Combplates are Safety Devices

The escalator combplates are actually those base plates you step on with a number of teeth on them arranged parallel to one another. With the provided grooves, these mesh together with an upper side that is exposed and a hidden lower side. 

It is equipped with an electric tooth-break monitor that gives a warning signal when two adjacent teeth are broken. This type is used to prevent objects (clothes, pens, keys, etc.) from accidentally being snagged inside the contraption and cause harm or other damages. The teeth are designed to move objects away and prevent it from being crushed or destroyed.

Escalator movements 

Escalators mostly move people up or down floors or different level areas. In this exposed surface of the movement’s pathway, people are carried along, either walking or standing still, to the level of their destination. This is called the step belt or a stair belt. 

In a moving sidewalk, people are transported to their destination on the same level (plate belt). These have their plate bodies connected with one another. Both types have combplates working for the safety of the passengers.

Safety measure

When in motion, the steps come into contact with the fixed parts at the entrance and exit landings. This is where the steps will pass through the comb plates. The natural (or painted) yellow color of the material adds another visual warning for passengers to know the change in moving parts and fixed parts. 

Escalator combplates have two conducting paths located at the lower side. Each of these conducting paths goes through one of the two adjacent teeth in the area where it is vulnerable to breaking. 

This is the point where the signal is applied into the conducting paths (either a tooth breaks or not). The monitoring device is designed in such a way that when two adjacent teeth are broken, a warning signal is sent through.

Materials 

Combplates are usually made from cast tin or cast aluminum with 80 teeth in each one which are about 2 millimeters wide and 4 centimeters long. These teeth are small and are specially designed to easily break. Some new plates now are made of cast polyamide with good abrasion properties. This ensures a longer service life as these cannot be abraded fast.

Replacements and updating the combplate teeth are designed for easy installation. Removal and replacement of the damaged teeth are easily completed by technicians with simple screw drivers. The only question is determining the right type and model of the machine. 

Safety standard

EN 115, the legal European standard, stipulates that checking of these combplate teeth shall be done on a daily basis. Most important is that the escalator should not be made to run if at least two directly adjacent teeth of the plates are broken. 

At present, there is now the REM (Remote Escalator Monitoring) where the functional operations of the escalator’s mechanical and electrical parts are checked. With EN 115, the checking of broken teeth in the combplates has to be done physically by a control person.

With the standard in place, escalator combplates help make riding escalators safe and harm-free.

Escalator steps – safety precautions

In constructing different kinds of building, we also need to consider the convenience of the people and safety of the public. If we construct a building for business purposes like malls, department stores and other establishments we need to consider an easy access of the public to our products so that the public will visit our stores. If we are constructing a higher building we need to have an elevators and escalators. Elevators are for the persons that cannot use the escalators or for the loads that are not fit for an escalator. Escalators also are for the public that are capable in climbing stairs and are carrying something from light to moderate weight luggage that does not need to wait an elevator. Escalators are used for easy, fast, and convenient way for the public in accessing one floor to the other floor from upward to downward or vice-versa.

Escalators are the most important means of transportation in many building especially in department stores and malls so that the products from the higher floor can be accessed easily by the customers and products can be sold easily to them without any hassle in climbing a long stairway. Escalators steps is just like a stair steps in a stairway but the dissimilarity is that, in a stairway we need to climb while in the escalator steps all we need to do is just step on it because it is moving similar of a conveyor. Escalators are designed carefully so that it can take anything that rides in it. Escalators can also add an appeal to the establishment or a building but their main use is for public convenience and transporting individuals and items in the building.

Escalators has many different parts in order to work and can be used as means of moving or transferring anything. The escalator steps are one of the most important of an escalator system. The step plate is the one we step on in an escalator. They would also usually place yellow strips around the step plate so that we can see the distinctive separations among step plates. They placed it in order to avoid us in stepping between the two plates that can also be the cause for the rider to be out balance with it separates.

Escalator steps are designed accurately and properly installed so that it will run smoothly in a long period of time without nuisance. It is carefully designed for public safety not just for adults but also for little children. It may be safe to use but may also be the cause of unexpected accidents if people using it are very negligent and not following the right way of using an escalator. The moving motion of the escalator steps may also cause accidents if proper way of stepping isn’t followed, and if the person stepping on it is not watchful enough. That’s why the management must also remind the public about the correct usage of their facilities so that they can avoid any unnecessary problems that they would be liable of.

Benefits of Escalator Step Cleaning

Cleaning service companies are fundamental part of the industry due to the convenience and efficiency they offer. If you need to clean a building area or complete a home improvement project, cleaning rental equipment can make the work a lot easier. If you run a company, you should have access to cleaning services, as this will allow you to give attention to other areas of your business, while trying to keep the premises thoroughly clean. These cleaning services are different in scope, and so you will want to have a look and find a company that will perform the job for you. You will want to hire a company that will take care of your equipment cleaning, escalator step cleaning, etc, as this remains an important part of keeping the company operating smoothly.

Just about every business site has to be cleaned, mainly because things can get dirty and when the dirt is able to escalate, it may result in the equipment prematurely breaking down. To help keep things working efficiently, it is advisable to ensure that they are as clean as it can be. Commercial cleaning is an important service for these businesses, so just be sure to have the cleaning services that you need.

You will also want to find an escalator step cleaning company that provides emergency response, because you never know what is going to transpire in the course of a day. If your business is forced to be closed down for an extended time period due to a repair and maintenance problem, you might end up costing your business a lot of money. But if you have a company that can offer an emergency response, you will get the mess cleaned up and your business running again at a considerably faster pace. This particular service should be available 24-hours a day, since problems can occur around the clock.

Because a lot of problems can arise due to poor maintenance, it is advisable to prevent these problems and use the proactive way of keeping things thoroughly clean. If you employ the service of a cleaning company to check and maintain your equipment regularly, it can save you a lot of money through the years. These service providers make sure that your equipment is always working well.

There is really no better option to cleaning services such as an escalator step cleaning, since failing to keep things clean and organized often result in a disaster. Devote some time to take a look around in order to find the company that is ideal for you, because there are a variety of customized solutions from which you can choose.

Hiring a cleaning company is quite cost effective, and they are not limited to merely cleaning or clearing. They offer convenience and also peace of mind. By having a competent and reliable cleaning company to perform what has to be done, you will definitely save time and money; valuable time and money that you could invest in more important areas of your business.

Escalator Combplates and Its Uses

All escalators are made to conveniently transport people to reach different floors; a great way to transport especially when you need to go to a floor with heavy baggage.  Escalator is generally safe to ride and use, but there are still numerous cases of accidents being reported due to escalator riding. This is due to the fact that people take for granted riding on it. Expectedly, accidents would surely take place. This usually happens to people who care less and took for granted the safety signs near the escalators.  They surely fall into accidents.

There was an estimation of 210 billion passengers of escalators per year.  This is only limited to United States and Canada estimation. So if we take the whole world into consideration, there would be more than a trillion of passengers riding the elevator a year. This estimation is quite a large number of passengers. This only indicates more people experiencing accidents like simple tripping, or fingers being stuck, legs amputation and severe head trauma caused by falling.

One of the many important parts of an escalator is the escalator combplates. Combs in the escalators as what it is known. They call it combplates because it looks just like a comb. It is a comb-like plate piece between the stationary floor plate and the moving step. The groove at the border has a series of cleats that really look like the teeth of a comb. This escalator combplates are very important to prevent objects from getting caught in the gap between the step and the floor. 

There are so many people who think that they do not have to pay attention when riding the escalator since the escalator combplates will make everything getting on and off board safe. If you, by any chance, think like this kind of people who think like this, then you have higher chances of experiencing accidents because the escalator is just the same as with other transportation that needs more attention. Riding an escalator is just like riding a bus or a train. You should give much attention or at least receive the same amount of attention. Without the knowledge of most people, an elevator has so many heavy moving machines installed inside it. Though the escalator combplates promote safe ride, it is our own responsibility and be reminded that it does not entirely mean that passengers should mindlessly ride on it.

There are people who think that escalator combplates have a way to grab someone’s clothing or shoes that might or succumb into the accident; though there were instances and cases where the passenger’s clothes and shoes were grabbed. Why people should put the blame to the escalator? People who are wearing loose clothes or wearing soft-soled shoes and are not careful usually trip and fall during their escalator ride. They should realize that escalators do not have minds of their own. Tripping and falling happened to them because their clothing and shoes were caught by the escalators combplates or by other machineries due to their lack of attention during the ride. To have a safe escalator ride, everyone should have common sense and this should be practice every time.