Lawmakers demand elevator inspections

AUGUSTA – Angry lawmakers demanded Thursday that state inspectors check out 182 old and unlicensed elevators across the state – and quickly.

Members of the Legislature’s Business and Economic Development Committee said they want to make sure those elevators don’t have the same flaw that killed an 8-year-old boy at the Bethel Inn in August.

The committee attacked a decision by state bureaucrats to give elevator owners 30 days to have their elevators inspected by private inspectors.

The Bethel Inn’s elevator was installed in 1929 and has an outer door and an accordion-style inner gate. Joseph Tucker Smith of Maryland died when the elevator moved up after he became stuck in the 7-inch gap between the door and the gate – 3 inches more than the 4 inches allowed by law.

Legislators said elevators not in compliance should be shut down.

“If they’re similar to the Bethel one, you slap a padlock on them,” said Rep. Thomas Murphy, R-Kennebunk.

Commissioner S. Catherine Longley of the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation told legislators that officials believed sending a letter to owners of the vintage door-and-gate elevators would be “the fastest way to reach them.” But lawmakers said that approach was anything but fast.

Officials said several owners since have notified the state that their elevators are shut down or in compliance, but they could not be more specific on how many owners have responded to the Aug. 30 letter.

Using tough language, committee members accused regulators of taking a go-slow approach toward inspecting old elevators.

“I don’t think you guys are getting it,” said Rep. John Richardson, D-Brunswick.

The committee voted 8-1 to have the state inspect the elevators as fast as possible. Regulators agreed to comply with the vote and said they hoped to get all 182 of them inspected within two weeks.