Further to posting:Moving walkway warning. These are extracts (in inverted commas) from a long awaited reply from Sky Harbor. My comments are in brackets.
‘Your letter dated April 29th 2009 was forwarded to me and a response by British Airways. Phoenix Sky Harbor does not have any record of receiving a previous letter from you’.
(there were three communications: 1 verbal and 1 written from Mr Dear to Sky Harbor: 1 letter correctly addressed to Ms Ostreicher from me who says she did not receive that either….make of that what you will !)
‘The walkways were constructed in accordance with Phoenix Building Construction Code for elevators ASME A17.1 Section 6.2.3.1.
(I don’t care, the regulation failed to stop this potentially serious accident happening and the victims were unable to control the situation: this is not fit for purpose)
‘The location and covers of emergency buttons are placed so that the buttons ar’nt accidently activated causing inadvertant injury. They are set to industry standard supported by our Risk Management section.’
(by this I take it that a sudden stop would off balance users. Ok they may stumble and fall BUT at least the thing would be stationary and not continue to move and tumble users around helplessly as in our case. Further to this there are very many examples of elevator emergency buttons which are placed in various sensible positions and NOT outside the elevator wall out of reach if you are down on the moving floor.)
‘ Sky Harbor has implemented all required safety signage on the floor panels at the entrances of all walkways and voice annunciation to indicate that the use of wheeled vehicles on walkways is prohibited.’
(there was no voice annuciation and as far as signage we three did not see it and nor did trolley users behind and in front of us. Clearly the signs are not high profile enough or were not in the exit corridor that we were using.
After long and tedious flight passengers just grab their cases and want to get out of the Airport at the soonest. Unless a sign is blatant Im afraid it will be missed. I have carefully looked through Sky Harbor regulation and rules online. There is no mention of prohibiting trolleys on walkways…only motorised trolleys)
I have replied to the Sky Harbor authority asking why verbal efforts to report the incident failed to get the attention it deserved at Sky Harbor in 2008 . How could it be that two other written communications fail to reach the authority. Since the emergency buttons are clearly in an impotent position would this addressed to eliminate the chances of a similar accident happening. I wrote on the 6th June with a copy to BA. I am still awaiting a reply. John
