N.L. making changes to tackle elevator inspection backlog

The government of Newfoundland and Labrador is making an amendment to the Public Safety Act in hopes of speeding up inspections on elevators.

The move comes just days after a heated exchange in the House of Assembly over the fact that approximately 65 per cent of elevator inspections required in 2024 didn't happen.

On Friday the Department of Government Modernization and Service Delivery announced amendments to the Public Safety Act that will authorize the chief inspector of amusement rides and elevating devices to allow private contractors and mechanics to carry out inspections.

"Every single day, thousands of people are using hundreds of unsafe elevators," PC MHA Loyola O'Driscoll said Monday during question period.

But the changes to the amusement rides and elevating devices regulations won't come into effect until January. The province requires all elevators to be inspected once a year, but there are only three government inspectors.

"Making these changes effective in January 2026 allows time for the industry to ensure they can meet licensing and certification requirements, and for both the department and the industry to develop or modify internal business processes to facilitate the changes," reads the department's statement.

The department says the new policy is meant to cut down on the number of annual inspections the government has to carry out and will help department officials focus on other priorities, like installations as well as incidents or complaint investigations.

The department also says under the new rules, owners will have to send in a written report to the chief inspector for renewing a device's certifications. Once reviewed, the chief inspector can renew its certificate or go to an in-person inspection.

The government is also making amendments to set qualifications for private contractors and mechanics so they can work and test elevating devices and amusement rides.

"These new requirements are aligned with most other jurisdictions in Canada," reads the department's statement.

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