Maintenance workers' strike may halt elevators

If a maintenance workers' strike continues, the agency regulating elevator safety in Ontario says it may need to shut down elevators for safety reasons.

The Technical Standards and Safety Authority says it requires regular safety checks and is concerned that, with striking workers, elevator companies won't be able to keep up with required inspections.

Supervisors from the elevator companies are filling in for the striking workers, but Thunder Bay property manager Doug Steen said they're already stretched from responding to emergency calls.

Hesaid hedoesn't see how the supervisors can keep up with the routine safety inspections performed by the striking workers.

"Heaven forbid something does go wrong and the inspection wasn't made," Steen said. "I just don't know where that's going to leave all parties."

Retired elevator mechanic Tim Beach said that's a valid concern.

"I don't know how it's physically possible for the reduction in manpower to be able to do the same work as all the fellas that were doing it before," he said.

For now, the Technical Standards and Safety Authority is allowing elevators needing minor maintenance checks to stay in service to minimize public inconvenience.

But if the strike continues, the agency said it may have to stop uninspected elevators from operating.