LIFT TRAGEDY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22628, 20 July 1935, Page 14

LIFT TRAGEDY

DEATH OF A YOUTH INSPECTION METHODS CRITICISED. (Pee United Press Association) WELLINGTON, July 19. Strong criticism of the methods used by the Marine Department in the licensing of lifts in city buildings was expressed by Mr 0. C. Mazengarb at the inquest held to-day into the death of Gordon Sims, an electrical apprentice, aged 17£, who was killed through being crushed between a lift and the wall of a shaft in Magnus Motors building on Saturday morning last, Mr Mazengarb, who appeared for the parents of the deceased, subjected the inspector of machinery for the Marine Department to a lengthy cross-examina-tion 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’s officers could not get round the city in time. An electrician explained that all except the ground floor gates of the lift are electrically controlled. The ground floor gates operate vertically and rise or drop as the lift descends or ascends. Judged by the position of the deceased it appeared that he 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 the deceased was fatally injured by being crushed when attempting to enter a goods lift in motion. The coroner said the lift machinery was passed by an expert man and were ordinary care taken it would not be dangerous.