AUDIT FINDS PROBLEMS WITH TENNESSEE ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS

  A recent audit of the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development found that the department is running behind on elevator inspections, a situation auditors said is "potentially jeopardizing the public's safety," THE TENNESSEAN reports. In some cases, elevators were granted permits before the department confirmed needed repairs were made or before follow-up inspections were undertaken. Department officials say they have taken steps to correct the problems since the audit findings were presented to them earlier this year. Those steps included filling a vacant inspector position and implementing a new, computerized permit tracking system. The department is required to inspect each elevator, escalator, aerial tram and moving walk meant for public use (excluding home elevators) twice a year. That comes out to about 22,000 state inspections a year; the city of Memphis handles its own inspections.