What is this thing that you always see on an escalator

Contrary to popular belief, the brushes on the sides of escalators are not meant for cleaning your shoes.

Many of us have used an escalator before, whether at an airport, a mall, or around town. You might think there isn’t much to know about a moving staircase, but have you ever wondered what those brushes on the side are for? You’ve probably brushed your shoes against them just for fun. Surprisingly, they serve a purpose beyond cleaning dirt off your shoes.

What are escalator brushes called?

Drum roll, please! Escalator brushes are called… escalator brushes. Not very exciting, we know. Some people refer to them as skirt deflectors because they resemble a skirt if you imagine an escalator in an outfit. Just kidding! The skirt is actually the gap between the stairs and the side. This is just one of those quirky facts you probably hadn’t thought about until now.

Why do escalators have brushes?

The brushes on escalators are actually a safety feature. They help keep shoes, feet, loose clothing, and other items away from the gap. They act as a warning sign or a buffer. Think about it: when you step onto an escalator, you probably aren’t very concerned about its safety features. Aside from keeping your balance and perhaps rolling your eyes at people running up the moving staircase (news flash: walking up escalators isn’t any faster than regular stairs), the gap is likely the least of your concerns. But an escalator is a machine, and machines can break. Accidents happen.

How do these brushes make escalators safer?

Some escalators have a yellow border indicating not to get too close to the edges, but all escalators have brushes. The small gap (the skirt) between the stairs and the sides leads to where the gears are that make the escalator work. When items like bags, jackets, and even toes get stuck in that gap, they can get wedged between the motors, causing the escalator to stop working properly (and potentially injuring your toes). The escalator is powerful enough to cause significant damage to human body parts. Many escalator accidents result from hands or feet getting caught in the crevice. So, escalator brushes were incorporated as a safety standard to either stop something from entering the gap or deflect it.