Cover:Serum Institute Burj Khalifa - Elevator World India

Public Safety
Otis India Takes Safe-T Rider © Program
to School Children
At Otis India, safety initiatives have always been taken
to ensure safety of not only employees but product users
as well. Apart from implementing site safety requirements
steps have been taken from time to time, to educate
product users on dos and don’ts of safety precautions
during the use of elevators and escalators. Training is
also being imparted to members of housing societies and
fire-brigade personnel.
In July, Otis India launched a new way to disseminate
safety messages to school children. Initiated by Stephen
D’Souza who firmly believed in educating children while
they were very young. Children tend to learn quickly and
practice what is taught to them. With the increase in
high-rise structures, multiplexes and malls, it becomes
even more important for children to know elevator and
escalator safety. The program is developed by the Elevator
Escalator Safety Foundation (EESF) and made available in
India through the nonprofit Elevator Escalator Safety
Trust (EEST) in India, an independent trust along the
same lines as the EESF in the U.S.
In July, the first program was held at a popular school
in the suburbs of Mumbai, which has a high density of
high-rise buildings with a large number of elevators.
Training was imparted to more than 480 children of the
Hiranandani Foundation School in July. This interactive
session was facilitated by faculty from Otis India, comprising
of W.S. D’Souza, V.K. Chitale, P.J. Wandre, Anuradha
Children being educated on the safety program
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ELEVATOR WORLD India • 4th Quarter 2010 •
Sawant and Anjali Bijpuria, and was well supported by R.
Vishwanathan. Subsequently, the program was also conducted
for 1,400 students of the Gundecha Education
Academy.
As part of the training program, there were lively discussions
with students regarding their awareness about
elevator and escalators, and specially developed videos
were shown. This was followed by a question-and-answer
session, which witnessed a tremendous response
from the children. The teachers also attended the program.
The children were awarded certificates of participation
that featured some safety slogans for them to
remember.
The school management was impressed with this initiative
by Otis India and requested to hold a similar program
for the primary school children. The second program
was held with in a month of the first and delivered
the program to more than 720 children.
Incidentally, TAK Mathews of EEST was approached at
a local mall by a student from the Hiranandani Foundation
School. They talked about the training she received at her
school, and the child’s mother was appreciative. Overwhelmed
with this response, our faculty is looking forward
to conducting more such programs in the interest of
overall public safety. Otis India even has plans to clone
the program in other cities to ensure wider impact and
coverage. �