Rhode Island Shuts Down Uninspected Elevators

Safety officials in Rhode Island have shut down four elevators as part of an effort to ensure building owners meet inspection requirements.

The state’s Department of Labor and Training reviewed inspection records this fall and determined that the annual checks weren’t performed on 67 elevators around the state. In some cases, the elevators hadn’t been inspected since 2004. Most were subsequently inspected following warning letters from the state.

The elevators shut down Wednesday are in Cumberland, Central Falls and Providence.

Charles Fogarty, director of the Department of Labor and Training, says none of the four elevators presented an immediate danger.

Fogarty says the action is part of a wider effort to ensure the safety of some 3,200 elevators in the state.