2006 Minato Ward elevator accident


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 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 the process of this investigation, elevator safety in Japan came under question, with media attention focused on Schindler Group, a Swiss elevator manufacturer which at the time operating in Japan as Schindler Elevator K.K.. Of the 8,800 Schindler elevators installed in Japan, 85 have trapped people.
Following the incident, the Minato Ward public housing corporation replaced all five Schindler elevators in the condominium with models manufactured by Mitsubishi.

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. 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.

Progress of accident investigation

Public concern over the Minato Ward case has not been limited merely to Schindler elevators. The Asia Times Online reported that in response to a flood of inquiries from customers, including building owners, the third-largest domestic elevator company, Toshiba Elevator and Building Systems Corp., was offering free inspections of their elevators, while Mitsubishi Electric Corp., the leading firm, and Hitachi Ltd, which is the second-largest, were responding to requests on a case-by-case basis. A recent Japanese survey showed that 65% of the students interviewed are uncomfortable with elevators following the Minato incident.
In Hong Kong, following the Minato incident, many news agencies drew similarities between the Minato case and the 2002 Fanling Hong Kong case. As a result, Hong Kong's Public Housing Authority was questioned about the 33 public estates with Schindler elevators. The Housing Authority stated that all of its elevators are maintained by the original manufacturer and all elevators are inspected fully once every week. In comparison, Hong Kong law requires a full annual examination, load testing every 5 years, and an inspection every month. Some buildings have inspections every 2 weeks.
On July 20, 2006, it was reported by Asahi, one of Japan's largest newspapers, that an increasing number of software problems have been spotted, leading to 113 elevators requiring a software replacement.
Multiple accidents involving Schindler products have continued to happen in Japan. See Schindler-related accidents and controversies.
Schindler would later sell nearly all of its Japanese assets to Otis in 2016. Schindler Elevator K.K., however, still exists.