BOYS' UNFORTUNATE DEATH

Chronicle (Levin), 19 December 1946, Page 5

BOYS' UNFORTUNATE DEATH

-Press Association

By Telegraph—

AFCKLAXD, Dec. 18. "Tliis was. a niost unfortunate death whieh serves to point out the wisdom of the inachinery inspection of the .Mariue Department. Had they htul the opportunity of inspeeting this set up, 1 am quite satislied, froni ihe evidence of the inspector, tlial the pinion wheels would have had proper safeguards and tliis death may have been avoided, " said the coroner, Xlr. A. Addison, at the eon-

clusion ot an mquest into the deatli of David McLeod, aged 2 years. Deceased, a son of Mr. II. A. McLeod, of Onehunga, died on September .11 after being admitted to liospital after he was eaught in the pinion wheels of a sawdust conveyer at the Ouehunga Wooden Box Company 's factory. Doris XlcLeod, mother of deceased, said she left her son with a neighbour while she went shopping and when she returned he was playing on the footpath outside his.home whieh was opposite the factory!. Hhe left hijn there and l^oked q'ut froin the.houke t wieC and he was still playing. The third time she looked he had disappeared and she sent liis sister, aged 7 years, to look for liini. Her daughter returned and infonued her she was wanted at the factory. She saw deceased lying on the floor. A labourer eiiiployed at the factory, Ceeil Walsh, said he was working in ihe yard when he noticed a sma.ll child standing mar the convever wliich was

about 20 yards distant. He called to the child to go avvay and he commenced to do so but heifilated and witness ruslied over and found that another child was caught in the inachinery. He immediately switched off tlie electric power and called for assistanee. Since the accident two exposed pinioas liad been guarded. A verdict was returned that the cause of death was gross laeerations sustaiued as the result gf becoming entangle'l in the exposed pinion wheels of a sawdust conveyer.