Heavyweights in Freight Elevator

elevator links to original article

(Sabah Newspaper, 7 January 2013)

An accident occurred in a maximum 3-person freight
elevator in a municipal building in Şişli, Istanbul,
when six people got into it. In the resulting lawsuit,
an expert who prepared a report for the elevator firm
stressed that the passengers were themselves 'grossly
overweight' and he found them to be the 'main cause'
of the accident. However, the judge disregarded this
report and fined the elevator firm's partner.

Some 3.5 years ago some of the citizens who came
to the building to celebrate a holiday used the freight
elevator because the others were occupied. After the
6 people boarded the elevator its ropes failed at the
third floor and the elevator fell. One of the passengers,
Güleser Ç. (59), broke her legs.

The report prepared by the elevator firm noted that
the total capacity of the elevator was 240 kilograms
for three people, whereas the 6 people who boarded
it - all 'grossly overweight' in the words of the report -
totaled 550 kilograms.  Consequently, this burden
caused the accident, according to the report.

Nevertheless, after the inquiry a suit was opened against
Şişli Deputy Mayor Tayfun Kahyaoğlu and elevator
firm partners Faruk Birgün and Mahmut Sefer Mala
for 'causing a person's injury through negligence.'  Mala
was fined 3,000 TL, based on a 150-day judicial assessment.
Sentening was postponed until a future date.