The scary reason behind escalators having brushes on the side

Everyone's thought it at some point, but what are those brushes on the side of escalators? Have they got an actual purpose?

Someone might have told you that they're actually there to clean your shoes of any dirt, but it's a reason far more serious than that.

As a child, escalators can be quite a daunting piece of technology to use, and you may remember your parents or other elders making sure you held their hand when you went on one, and as we're about to find out, it was for good reason too.

You've probably heard bizarre stories of people getting injured while using an escalator but as someone who hasn't injured themselves on one (yet), I don't get it.

So, what are those odd black nylon bristles that are along the sides of most escalators you'll have encountered?

They are actually a great addition because believe it or not, they're a safety feature and help to stop accidents from happening through their mere presence.

Known simply as 'safety brushes', they are there to keep things like your shoes and clothing from getting caught between the moving stairs and the balustrade skirt.

If they weren't there, there would be a high chance of your clothes getting stuck in the moving escalator, which doesn't sound very nice to be fair.

Yet, the brushes themselves are actually more of a psychological deterrent rather than a physical one.

When the passenger feels a brush moving against their leg or clothing they will instinctively move it away preventing it from getting snagged on the escalator.

TikTok account 'Untold Facts' also clarified why the bristles are so important, adding: "One of the biggest reasons for escalator mishaps is people getting their clothes and bags stuck in them when they stand too close to the sides."

One viewer commented: "I got my floor length dress caught in an escalator and it left oil/grease stains on it that I could never remove."

"Only recently my hubby helped a lady who got her skirt stuck on the escalator," another added.

As a third commented: "Escalators scare the s**t out of me to this day.

"My kids laugh at me because i take the stairs to this day!"

Skirt deflectors were not made mandatory until the amendment A2 in 2004.

According to British and European standard BS EN115-1:1995, the requirement of fitting the ‘skirt deflectors’ or ‘escalator brushes’ reduces the likelihood of getting stuck by lessening the likelihood of items entering the gap between the steps and skirt by obstruction.

It also deflects loose clothing away from the hazard to reduce the likelihood of entrapment.