A new campaign from Metro Trains is reminding passengers to use their ‘safety gears’ and take extra precautions on their journey to keep themselves and others safe.

The number of preventable slips, trips and falls on the rail network is increasing as more people return to public transport.

Leading with the message ‘You’re the only safety gear’, Metro is calling on passengers to use their instincts and be aware of their surroundings while using escalators, stairs and platforms so they can stay safe while travelling.

Unlike a bike, a car or a rollercoaster, passengers aren’t required to strap in or put on a helmet or padded gloves when riding the escalator. Passengers’ hands, stance and wits are the only things keeping them safe, so it’s important that passengers engage their ‘safety gears’ before boarding.

Figures released today show that there has been an average of more than 30 slips, trips and falls per month across Melbourne’s rail network since July 2021.

There were 22 incidents in October as lockdown restrictions eased across Melbourne. That number jumped to 35 in November as more people returned to train travel.

There have been 96 ambulance call outs to stations for slips trips and falls so far this year.  Comparatively, there were 169 ambulance call outs to stations in 2019 to November (there were 182 call outs in total for the year).

The number of slips, trips and falls in the 2019 calendar year was 821.

These incidents are often the result of people failing to use handrails on escalators and losing their balance, while other incidents are caused by distraction and people rushing for trains.

The vast majority of incidents of this nature are entirely preventable and are reliant on passengers taking simple steps to keep themselves and others safe.

Busier platforms as a result of an increase in patronage and major events across Melbourne are leading to a bigger risk of safety incidents on platforms, making it even more important for passengers to gear up.

Metro Trains CEO Raymond O’Flaherty said that most of the slips, trips and falls seen on a daily basis are entirely preventable.

“We need our passengers to play their part to stay safe,” he said.

“When you ride the station escalator, use the stairs or hop on the train, you’re the only safety gear.”

‘You’re the only safety gear’ is currently live on the Metro network in Melbourne.