The escalator accident that caused one death and 30 injuries in the Beijing Metro on July 5 has aroused mass attention regarding Metro passenger safety. In response, GuangZhou Metro has announced that they have taken precautions to prevent similar accidents.

In the morning of July 5, an escalator going up suddenly changed direction in Beijing Zoo Station of Beijing Subway Line 4. A 13-year-old boy died and 30 people were injured, according to Yang Ling, spokeswoman of the subway operator.

Investigation revealed that the accident was caused by a malfunction in the escalator’s emergency breaking system. Guangzhou Metro officials say they don’t use the same brand involved in the accident and that they strictly follow national regulations on escalator safety by conducting daily examinations on the escalators. They also plan to increase the frequency of the examinations and deploy escalator staff during rush hours as a precaution.

The local safety supervision authority said they will hold free training courses for elevator security staff in public facilities as well as conduct comprehensive checks on escalators in busy areas. They have also called for an emergency breaking test on all the escalators over six meters in the city.

Elevator and escalator technical expert Zhang Lexiang suggested that people should not walk on the escalators, but instead they should stand firm and hold the handrail. He also said people should take the staircase if the escalator is overcrowded.