Before you next step into an elevator in Tennessee, you may want to ask the building owner about its permit.

The state office responsible for elevator safety has been late conducting inspections and awarding permits without checking if repairs were made.

Those were some of the findings of a recent audit of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development, which has a wide array of responsibilities — from rescuing trapped miners to permitting amusement park rides. The audit uncovered shortcomings in the department's Elevator Unit that could pose a risk for passengers.

"By performing inspections late, the unit increases the risk of not detecting a defective

device, potentially jeopardizing the public’s safety," the auditors wrote.

22,000 inspections a year

Department officials say they have taken steps to correct the problems since the auditors examined the operations in the spring of 2018. They've filled one of two vacant inspector positions, and implemented a new permit tracking system.

"The addition of new employees and the addition of a new computer system that tracks delinquencies will allow for timely inspections of conveyances across the state of Tennessee," department spokesman Chris Cannon said in an email.

Twice a year the department is required to inspect each elevator, escalator, aerial tram and moving walkway. It generally oversees elevators in "public" buildings (excluding home elevators, for instance).That comes out to about 22,000 state inspections a year. Memphis handles its own permitting and inspections.

If an elevator has a code violation — for a missing smoke detector in the machine room, for instance — the inspector could issue a warning, a citation, or shut down the elevator, depending on the severity of the violation. The elevator owner would then be required to bring the equipment into compliance before receiving its annual permit.

Where inspections fell short

But auditors examined 50 elevators with code violations and found the department granted nearly one out five an operating permit before getting notice from the owner that defects were repaired.

Also, the department didn't conduct follow-up inspections or require owners to submit any supporting documentation, such as a receipt for repairs, that could confirm the work was complete. Federal and industry guidelines recommend this sort of confirmation, the auditors wrote.

When it did conduct elevator inspections, the department lagged behind its biannual schedule. The auditors looked at a random sample of 50 inspections and found that half were performed late — by an average of 74 days. The most-delayed inspection came two years after its due date.

Department managers said the inspectors were short-staffed during some of the audit period, which stretched from July 1, 2017 through March 31, 2018. At full staffing, the agency has 25 inspectors and a supervisor. It was down two inspectors in March, but hired an East Tennessee inspector in November. It posted a job listing for Middle Tennessee, but hasn't found a suitable candidate.

The department has shifted staff to help track elevator inspections and code violations, officials said in their official response to the audit. They also plan to train staff to review inspection reports, and will follow up with owners to be sure that repairs are made before issuing permits.

What to look for in an elevator

Except in the city of Memphis, elevators generally have to get an operating permit from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The permit should either be hung inside the elevator car, or there should be a sign indicating where the permit can be viewed.

Check when the permit was issued, when it expires, and if the elevator has been reinspected during the year. It should be inspected every six months.

For information, call the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development Elevator Unit at 844-224-5818.