North Carolina Faces Backlog of Inspections

Nearly 5,000 elevators, escalators and lifts in North Carolina are past due for their annual safety inspections, according to information WRAL Investigates obtained through a public records request and reported on September 18. The backlog is so great that, while at the Department of Labor (DOL), the source noticed the elevator there had not been inspected since February of last year. From July 2022 to July 2023, DOL records show there were 20 incidents on escalators, lifts or elevators, and the elevators were up to date in most. Labor Commissioner Josh Dobson told the source the backlog is a combination of rapid development and being under-staffed. “We are allotted 39 [inspector] positions, and we’re 10 short right now,” he said. “And that’s for roughly 22,000 elevators, and we add over 1,000 elevators every year due to the growth of our state.” Dobson’s team is working through the inspections as quickly as possible, and he has implemented retention bonuses and paid family leave in an effort to make the positions more attractive.