YOUTH’S DEATH

Southland Times, Issue 25341, 20 July 1935, Page 4

YOUTH’S DEATH

LICENSING OF LIFTS CRITICIZED. EVIDENCE AT INQUEST. (Per 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 O. C. Mazengarb at an inquest held to-day into the death of Gordon Sims, an electrical apprentice, aged 171, who was killed through being crushed" between the lift and wall of the shaft in Magnus Motors’ building on Saturday morning. Mr Mazengarb, who appeared for the parents of deceased, subjected the Inspector of Machinery for the Marine Department, to a lengthy cross-exam-ination 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 a lift 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 are electrically controlled. The ground floor gates operated vertically and rise or drop as the lift descends or ascends. Judging by the position of 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 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.