Elevator tragedy still under wraps

A technician trying to repair an elevator stuck near the 44th floor of one of the TD Towers in downtown Toronto fell down the shaft to his death on June 24.

The elevator was stuck for several hours between floors while carrying seven employees of the law firm McCarthy Tetrault as well as a bicycle courier.

Otis Elevators expressed their condolences to the family of the victim, who was a 43-year old father of five. Otis are still withholding comment until an investigation is completed.

A consulting engineer specializing in vertical transportation who declined to be named, said that elevators are the world’s safest form of transportation.  If you are in one that becomes stuck, the safest action is to stay in the cab.

If a fire occurs in a building while you are in an elevator, a special recall operation will automatically send the elevator to a safe floor, said the engineer.  However, the fire recall operation should not be used in a situation where there is something wrong with the mechanism of the elevator itself.

The Ontario Ministry of Labour and Technical Standards and Safety Association are investigating the cause of the accident.