Staff knew how to override lift safety functions, inquest told
STAFF members at a pub in which a barman got trapped in a lift and died have admitted that many knew how to override the lift’s safety functions.
The inquest into the death of 20-year-old Cyran Stewart heard that it was “common knowledge” among staff how to override the lift, making it unnecessary to close the internal gate, which should have been used as a matter of safety.
Former university undergraduate Mr Stewart suffered fatal injuries when he was helping clear up at the Walkabout bar in Swansea city centre’s Wind Street. He died at Morriston Hospital in Swansea on February 28, 2014 – four days after the incident – having never regained consciousness.
He had been moving heavy chairs from the basement cellar to the ground floor in a service lift when the incident happened and he was trapped for 31 minutes until being released by firefighters using specialist equipment to force the lift doors open.
During busy nights the chairs and stools would be removed from the ground floor of the 1,100-capacity venue and stored in the cellar.
Former staff members gave eyewitness accounts of the incident at Swansea Coroner’s Court, and said that many who worked at the venue knew how to override the lift.
Former barman John Hardacre said that he had seen people use the practise in a bid to save time.
“I was not shown how to override it, but I have seen people do it. You just hold the button and it will go without shutting the second door” he told the inquest yesterday.”
He added that when he started in the role, about a month before the incident, he was shown the safest way to do this.
“I only put four stools in there because there would not be enough room [otherwise]. It was the easiest and safest way to do it [and this is what] I was shown.”
Witness Christopher Evans also told the court that he was shown by a member of staff to override the lift but, that he had never done it.
“I questioned it and I did not feel comfortable using it [the lift.]”
He added that the maximum number of stools and chairs you could get in the lift at one time was six, and another witness said he had seen a person in the lift with six pieces of furniture inside previously. Mr Stewart was found with eight in the lift with him by emergency services.
The hearing continues.