THE SUGARWORKS FATALITY.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 135, 9 June 1910, Page 6

THE SUGARWORKS FATALITY.

INQUEST EESUMES.

The imjirest concerning the death by accident at the OheMea. Sugar Works last week of the young man Thomas John Roberts was resumed at Gleeson's Hotel before the City Coroner (3lr T. Gresham). this morning. 31r Richmond appeared on behalf of the Colonial Sugar Company, Ltd., and jHt S. Mays -watched the proceedings on behalf of the deceased's relatives. Thomas V. Griffith, a mixer at the Chelsea Sugar AVorks, stated that on Saturday last, at 20 minutes to eight, be was upstairs on the centrifugal floor, about 40ft above the ground. Deceased was on the top 'lauding, about 20ft higher. Witness , brother Henry was working with deceased, he being inside a tank on the landing, and deceased outside, they being both engaged in emptying the tank. A little later witness went up to ■clean out the spiral inside the mixer, deceased telling him to do it. Deceased asked witness if he had a knife to assist in removing the conveyer belt. Witness did not have one, so deceased got a pinch-bar, and was in the a«t of removing the belt from the top pulley, the while showing witness how it should be done so as to stop the spiral, when the accident 'happened. He had just said: "Always do this, Tommy, and you will never get killed or hurt"; putting the pinch-bar through the belt to -ease it off, ■when the belt suddenly tightened up and swept 'him and the rail away. After striking the pulley he fell about 60ft to the bottom of the shait. The duty of liberating the belt should have been performed by a greaser, bat not with a pinch-bar. To Mr Mays: The dutch which would release the belt was down on a lower floor, and deceased, prior to releasing the 'belt with the pinch-bar, said to witness that the clutch was tied. The proper fastening was a pin, he thought. That was why deceased asked for a knife, to cut the string that tied the clutch. The shaft which this clutch would, throw out of action drove two elevators," the crusher and the mixer. On prior occasions witness had searched half-an-hour or more for the greaser in vain. On this occasion, they did not search or call for the greaser. On one occasion when lie was called, however, the greaser did come in. Tespect of this belt, and used the clutch. It would take three- or four minutes to get from the upper platform to the clutch and release it. It was the duty of the man in cnarge of the shift to take the belt off, and deceased was in charge -of the shift. The greaser was the one whose duty it was to put the belt on. The conveyer belt was not encased in any way, and there were no mechanical means by which men on the platform could notify the greaser that his services were required. The handrail which was carried away curved round at the northern end, and this curved portion was behind the deceased as he stood on the platform. Deceased was quite free of the belting as he fell — he was dragged over through holding on

To 3lr Richmond: As deceased and himself spoke about the clutch Roberts said, '"1 suppose it's tied as usual." Witness made no reply. Deceased had informed Mm that he had made complaints to the . foreman of the works about delays occasioned by failure to find a greaser when belts came off. This was about a fortnight before the accident, just after deceased had put on two or thre belts to save delay. He had seen other hands go and stop the machinery itself in the absence of the person qualified to do so. He himself had been asked to do so, but had refused, and passed the request oi to another man. It was at this stage decided, in view of the fact that some of the expert evidence required was not immediately available, to adjourn till Wednesday next, June 15, at 10 a.m.