In accordance with section 40 of the Lifts and Escalators Ordinance, the responsible person for the lift has the responsibility to notify EMSD in writing by using the specified form LE27, and also the registered lift contractor currently undertaking any lift works in respect of the lift within 24 hours of coming into knowledge of any of the following incidents:
(1) the death of, or injury to, any person involving any part of the lift;
(2) failure of the main drive system;
(3) breakage of any suspension rope;
(4) failure of a brake, overload device or safety equipment; or
(5) failure of the lift door interlocking devices.
Under mutual agreement, the contractor may report such incidents to EMSD on behalf of the responsible person for the lift, so as to satisfy the requirements of section 40 of the Lifts and Escalators Ordinance. However, the responsible person must, in accordance with his or her duties as a responsible person, ensure that the contractor has reported to EMSD.
The responsible person for the lift may commission an independent consultancy company or another registered lift contractor to provide independent professional advice in order to be able to come to an appropriate decision.
The responsible person for the lift should promptly and without delay notify the fault call centre of the registered lift contractor for the contractor to send staff to rescue the trapped passengers and examine the lift immediately. Moreover, the responsible person for the lift should also explain to the trapped passengers that it is safe to stay in the lift car, calming them down until rescue arrives. In more extreme situations (e.g., where passengers are feeling ill or suffering an injury, or a fire has broken out), the responsible person for the lift should dial 999 to seek help from the Fire Services Department.
The responsible person of the lift should step up supervision on the lift inspection works and urge the contractor to pay more attention to performance-related issues during routine maintenance, as well as to make the necessary corrections in a timely manner to reduce the inconvenience caused to users.
The responsible person for the lift should consider a wide range of factors, such as the background, business scale, company management of the contractor, whether it has sufficient technical knowhow (especially in respect of the maintenance and repair experience relevant to the particular brand and model of lift), its storage of major spare parts, anticipated duration of maintenance works and capability of dealing with emergencies. Reference should also be made to the Registered Lift Contractors’ Performance Rating regularly published by EMSD. The responsible person for the lift should reach a consensus with the flat owners/occupiers and study the contractor’s charges and service quality before making an appropriate decision.
The responsible person for the lift should notify the contractor as soon as possible to send staff to examine the lift and then notify the user of the results of the examination. The responsible person should not tackle the problem on his/her own or respond to it in a perfunctory manner.
The responsible person for the lift should notify the contractor as soon as possible to send staff to examine the lift and find out what happened in the incident from CCTV footage. After the contractor has identified the cause of the problem, the responsible person for the lift should explain the situation to the user. For instance, the safety system will be activated automatically to stop the lift in case of a lift failure, causing passengers to feel that the lift is jolting. If the signals of the levelling device are ineffective, the lift will change its normal operating speed and run at a lower speed to stop at a suitable floor, open the lift door and let the passengers leave the lift car, during which the passengers may have the sensation of a plunge.
The responsible person for the lift should, as far as is practicable, strive for an agreement with the contractor through communication, and may seek legal advice for reference. The periodic maintenance and safe operation of the lift must not be compromised by the contractual dispute, otherwise the requirements under the relevant ordinance may be contravened.
The responsible person for the lift should ensure there is clear agreement with the contractor regarding the official date of rescission. A new contractor should be engaged as soon as possible to take over the maintenance work and carry out periodic maintenance and examination for the lift in accordance with the statutory requirements so as to ensure that the lift and all its associated equipment or machinery are kept in a proper state of repair and in safe working order. The lift will have to cease operation if a new maintenance contractor cannot be engaged upon the rescission of the contract.
The responsible person for the lift should expeditiously arrange a comprehensive inspection with the registered contractor to identify problems requiring rectification, and have active discussions with flat owners/occupiers regarding the implementation of a lift modernisation or replacement programme. Consideration may be given to commission an independent consultancy company or another registered contractor for additional professional advice where necessary.
The responsible person for the lift has the responsibility to manage the daily operation of the lift properly. If it is necessary to move heavy objects that may overload the lift, the maintenance contractor should be contacted for advice so as to avoid accidents. Besides, the responsible person for the lift should also remind passengers to use the lift properly to avoid lift failure, damage or wear and tear or even danger caused by improper use.
The responsible person for the lift can enquire with his or her lift maintenance contractor regarding what items can be enhanced, or visit the EMSD website to learn more about the enhancement options for old lifts.
Starting from 1 April 2011, the Urban Renewal Authority have taken over and consolidated previous assistance schemes into an Integrated Building Maintenance Assistance Scheme. The scheme provides technical support and financial assistance in carrying out the comprehensive building maintenance works where the lift modernisation works can be included. For more information or further enquiry, please call the Integrated Building Maintenance Assistance Scheme hotline at 3188 1188 or visit the following website.
It is a requirement by the Labour Department to protect lift workers from accidents arising from the operation of the lift car while they are working in the lift shaft.
The responsible person for the lift can get the maintenance price information of lifts at private residential and commercial premises for reference from the following EMSD website.
Maintenance Price Figures for Lifts at Private Residential Premises
Maintenance Price Figures for Lifts at Private Commercial Premises
The responsible person for the lift should cease the operation of the lift or stop people from using it, whilst promptly notifying EMSD and applying for the issuance of a replacement use permit. The lift can resume operation only after a new use permit is displayed inside the lift car.
As the responsible persons for the lift, building owners have the right to enter the lift machine room of the lift for inspection, but it is advised that they be accompanied by technical staff of the registered lift contractor. In doing so, they can immediately ask the contractor to follow up on any irregularities detected in the machine room whilst ensuring their personal safety.