LIFT MACHINERY.

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19634, 22 July 1935, Page 12

LIFT MACHINERY.

INSPECTION CRITICISED. SEQUEL TO CITY FATALITY. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Friday. 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 174, who was killed through being crushed between a lift and the wall of the shaft in Magnus Motors building. Mr Mazengarb, who appeared for the parents of deceased, subjected the Inspector of machinery for the Marine Department to a lengthly cross-ex-.amination on the fact that the lift had been operated without a licence 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 lime. An electrician explained that all except Hic ground-floor gates of the lift were electrically controlled. The ground-floor gales operated vertically and rose and' droped as the lift descended or ascended. Judging by Hie position of deceased it appeared that he bad 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 lo 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.