EscaTEQ, a global escalator cleaning solutions company specialising in preventive maintenance approaches, has announced the release of the EscaTEQ Method™, a voluntary operating methodology for escalator tread surface maintenance, developed with the aim of contributing to industry discussion around a category where no formally recognised methodology currently exists.

Under typical operating conditions, escalators handle an average of 3,000 passengers per hour, with that number rising significantly in high-footfall venues such as airports, transit hubs and major retail environments. Despite this, no globally adopted standard currently exists to define how, how often, and to what measurable outcome escalator surfaces should be cleaned.

Meanwhile, research shows falls to be a contributing factor in approximately 75% of escalator injuries in the US (93% in UK), with around 10,000 of those in the US requiring emergency care (~2,000 UK). With cleaning regimes and inspection records being increasingly scrutinised during investigations, the lack of an established standard to define cleaning frequency or traction verification protocol puts teams responsible for safety-critical moving assets in a difficult position.

The EscaTEQ Method™ defines a repeatable, low-moisture, surface-controlled cleaning protocol for escalator treads, developed over nearly a decade of field deployment across high-traffic facilities. Internal operational estimates, based on more than 50,000 cleaning pads supplied globally and a conservative minimum-use assumption equivalent to over 500,000 cleaning cycles, contain no reports of escalator damage, moisture-related incidents or injuries attributable to the method.

The method is built around three elements:

• A structured ABC condition classification system: Class A (heavily neglected, restorative intervention required), Class B (moderate contamination, maintenance cleaning), Class C (well-maintained, preventive cleaning). Classification determines the cleaning approach and documents an assets condition at each cycle.

• A standard operating sequence: visual inspection and dry debris removal; safety setup and area cordoning per site requirements; low-moisture tread cleaning passes using handheld tools that work with the escalator’s own motion; post-clean verification confirming no excess moisture remains; documentation and scheduling of the next cycle based on traffic and condition assessment.

• CMMS integration: the structured, sequential nature of the method allows escalator cleaning to be logged, tracked and audited within existing Computerised Maintenance Management Systems alongside other planned preventive maintenance activities, treating escalator surface care as a documentable engineering activity rather than an informal service event.

Willem de Roeper, Vice President, EscaTEQ, said: “The vertical transportation community has codified every other aspect of escalator performance with considerable rigour, but surface maintenance remains a gap. We have spent nearly a decade developing and testing a methodology in the field, and we are putting it in front of the engineers and consultants best placed to tell us where it holds up, where it falls short and what it would need to become a recognised standard.”

EscaTEQ is inviting OEM engineers, vertical transportation consultants and building engineering professionals to scrutinise the methodology.