Introduction

The purpose of this permit system is to regulate the amusement rides operating in Hong Kong for use by the public in accordance with the safety requirements set out in the Amusement Rides (Safety) Ordinance (Cap 449) and the Amusement Rides (Safety) (Operation and Maintenance) Regulation (Cap 449B).

Scope and to whom it may concern

Pursuant to sections 6 and 10 of the Amusement Rides (Safety) Ordinance, the owner of an amusement ride shall obtain a design approval from the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) before equipment installation, obtain a permit to use and operate from EMSD upon completion of installation and employ a competent person before he/she could operate the amusement ride for use by members of the public.

The contents of this page are not applicable to application for kiddie ride.  For kiddie rides, please click here for the details of application for permit to use and operate kiddie ride.

How to apply

The permit system is divided into two stages, namely “Design Approval” before installation and “Permit to Use and Operate” upon completion of installation.  Applications should be made to the General Legislation Division of EMSD.  The application procedures are as follows:

Stage 1: Design Approval

Installation works shall not commence until design approval is obtained.

1. Complete the application form, Form 1 [PDF format (2,271KB)], according to the given instructions and prepare the supporting documents on the details of the design, specification, method and programme o finstallation of the amusement ride.  Detailed requirements are shown in the Appendix.
2. Submit the completed application form together with the supporting documents in person / by mail to the General Legislation Division of EMSD or via Electronic Submissions.

Insufficient information in the submission may cause delay to the approval process.  Form 2 (Design Approval) will be issued to the applicant for retention if the application is successful.  A location number will be assigned to the amusement ride for future reference.

Whenever there is any proposed major alteration that will make the design of the ride different from the original Form 2 approval, a further application has to be submitted to EMSD prior to alteration.

Applicant of mobile amusement ride for carnival event shall also observe the requirements of the Supplementary Conditions for Design and Operation of Mobile Amusement Rides in Carnival Events [PDF format(76KB)].

Stage 2: Permit to Use and Operate

1. Submit operation manual, maintenance manual and emergency manual to EMSD.  In order to allow sufficient time for EMSD to review the manuals prior to carrying out assessment to competent person as well as survey to the ride, it is recommended to submit these manuals well before Stage 2.
2. Select an employee to apply for being the Competent Person.  Please click here for the details of application for approval as Competent Person.
3. Appoint an independent Surveyor to thoroughly inspect, examine, test and certify the integrity of the ride upon completion of the installation works.  Please click here for the list of Surveyors.
4. Complete the application form, Form 3 [PDF format (3,330KB)], according to the given instructions.
5. Submit the completed application form together with the ride examination report and the prescribed application fee [PDF format (114KB)] in person / by mail to the General Legislation Division of EMSD or via Electronic Submissions.  Payment by crossed cheque should be made payable to “The Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region”.  Post-dated cheque will not be accepted and cash should not be sent by post.

Upon receipt of the application, the officer of EMSD will have an enrollment inspection on the ride before issuing Form 5 (Permit to Use and Operate Amusement Ride).

Enquiries

Submission of Application

Applications should be submitted to the following office:

Appendix

Detailed Requirements of Design Document

Before commencement of any installation work on site, the ride owner is required to demonstrate, with proper supporting documents, the adequacy of the engineering design as well as the design approach in addressing the possible safety-related issues during the ride operation. A design document, which contains sufficient details of the mechanical, electrical and structural design, safety specification and operating instruction, shall be submitted to EMSD. The design document which should include but not be limited to the following:

A. General

1. Particulars of manufacturer, ride model, serial number and date of manufacture
2. Maximum number of passengers, passenger carrying units and weight to be carried on the ride
3. Quality assurance documentation
4. Approval issued by other authorities on amusement ride
5. Notice of prohibited conducts and restrictions on riders

B. Construction and Operation

1. Total weight of amusement ride, foundation and anchorage requirement
2. Method and programme of installation and dismantling
3. Description of ride components, drive system (with motive power and rating), control system and signaling and communication equipment and safety devices
4. Description of ride motion with the data of maximum speed, acceleration, deceleration and duration of a normal ride cycle
5. Means of braking and stopping
6. Passenger containment system including restraints, safety devices and redundancy provisions
7. Description of overload sensing device, alarm and safety (including fire safety and rescue equipment) system
8. Key ride operational issues including functional and operating procedures
9. Passenger flow and crowd control, as well as guests loading / unloading arrangement
10. Duties of individual operator during normal and emergency situations
11. Rescue plan

C. Drawings

1. Location map of the ride
2. Layout plan showing dimensions of amusement ride and all round clearance from nearby objects
3. Plan showing passenger queuing and control arrangement, position of control console, signage, chief operator and other operators
4. Assembly drawings of the ride and other ride facilities, including electrical supply, pneumatic and hydraulic system, etc.

D. Design Calculations

1. Design calculation and stress analysis of amusement ride including properties, design strength and safety factors
2. Certification of the design calculation by Registered Professional Engineer (RPE)
3. Overall risk assessment

The ride owner should appoint a Registered Professional Engineer (RPE) to verify and certify on the design calculation as well as to explain, clarify, and supplement with further information of the design and construction of the ride so as to address the issues raised out in process of design vetting.

For those amusement rides ever operated in Hong Kong or overseas, the past operating record and overseas survey documents of the rides should be submitted to EMSD.

For more details, please refer to the “Code of Practice for Amusement Rides".