LICENSING OF LIFTS

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1935, Page 12

LICENSING OF LIFTS

DEPARTMENT CRITICISED, COMMENT AT INQUEST. {Per Press Association. — Copyright.] WELLINGTON, This Day. Strong criticism of the methods used by the Marine Department in the licensing of lifts in city buildings was expressed by Mr O. C. Mazengarb at an inquest held yesterday into the death of Gordon Sims, an electrical apprentice, aged 17 h years, who was killed through being crushed between a lift and the wall of a shaft in the Magnus Motors building. Mr Mazengarb, who appeared for the parents of deceased, subjected the inspector of machinery for the Marine Department to a lengthy cross-exam-

inaticn on the fact that the lift had been operated without a license since April or May, and expressed the opinion that it was perfectly scandalous that lifts in Wellington went unlicensed for two or three months solely because the department could not get round the city in time. An electrician explained that all except the ground floor gates of the lift were electrically controlled. The ground floor gates operated vertically and rose or dropped as the lift ascended or descended. Judging by the position of deceased, it appeared he had stepped into the lift as it started to ascend and was knocked down by the gate as it dropped into position.

A verdict was returned that deceased was fatally injured by being crushed when attempting to enter a goods lift in mption. The coroner said the lift machinery was passed by an expert, and where ordinary care was taken would not be dangerous.