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The Minato Ward 2006 elevator accident was an incident in June 2006 which shook Japanese public confidence in the safety of elevators around the country. In June 2006, in Minato, Tokyo, a 16-year-old high school student was killed by an elevator not maintained by SEC Elevator Co Ltd but of another elevator maintenance company. He was backing out of it with his bicycle when the elevator suddenly rose with the doors still open, causing asphyxiation. Investigations began relating to this fatality.〔((In Japanese) )〕 In the process of this investigation, elevator safety in Japan came under question, with media attention focused on Schindler Group, the Swiss-based elevator manufacturer. Of the 8,800 Schindler elevators installed in Japan, 85 have trapped people.〔The Yomiuri Shimbun, "459 Schindler lift problems found", 2006.http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060610TDY01003.htm〕 Following the incident, the Minato Ward public housing corporation replaced all five Schindler elevators in the condominium with elevators from another manufacturer. ==Responsibility== Elevator maintenance had been carried out by SEC Elevator in 2005, and by Japan Elevator Corporation from 2006 until the time of the accident, not by the manufacturer. The International Herald Tribune and Asahi Shimbun reported on June 14 that "Loose bolts and worn brake pads, evidence of poor maintenance, likely played a central role in the elevator accident". In the article it can also be read that "it is the responsibility of the maintenance company to ensure that such bolts are tightly fastened". Schindler pointed out that the maintenance of the elevator was carried out by a non-affiliated maintenance company and that the company does not have an indication of a product design mistake so far. However, Tokyo Metropolitan Police concluded that both Schindler and maintenance company are responsible for the accident. Six people had been reported to have been prosecuted.〔()〕 Schindler, Minato Ward public housing corporation, and the Japanese elevator maintenance company, SEC, were publicly criticized for having displayed an evasive attitude toward the Japanese police and the condominiums' inhabitants.〔Shimbin, Y., "Lift probe frustrated by service bodies / Housing corp., maintenance firms, manufacturer uncooperative, blame each other" ''Daily Yomiuri Online'', 2006. http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20060611TDY02009.htm〕 They did not respond to or attend any public meetings for the first 8 days, although they claimed to have fully cooperated with the investigation. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「2006 Minato Ward elevator accident」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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