To further enhance the safety of lifts, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) has, in addition to strengthening publicity and education, drawn on relevant experience from the Chinese Mainland and other countries. Starting from the fourth quarter of 2025, the EMSD will gradually require the Responsible Persons for lifts to conduct risk assessments for their lifts lacking essential safety devices.
A risk assessment of lifts is a systematic process aimed at identifying safety hazards and risks during lift operation and evaluating their potential impact on both users and equipment.
Risk assessments cover lifts lacking any of the following essential safety devices:
The Responsible Person for the relevant lift should engage a qualified Risk Assessor to conduct a risk assessment at least once every five years. If the assessment report indicates that the lift requires close monitoring, the interval for the next risk assessment should be reduced to three years.
According to the Lifts and Escalators Ordinance (Cap. 618), the Responsible Person for a lift (such as a building owner and owners' corporation) must 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 Responsible Person for the lift is obligated to take appropriate measures, including conducting risk assessments and following up on recommendations, to identify potential hazards and implement safety measures to protect users.
List of Accredited Risk Assessors of Lifts [PDF format (363KB)]
Professionals who wish to serve as Risk Assessors must meet one of the following qualification criteria and have completed the relevant training course accredited by the EMSD and passed the examination:
Interested parties who met the above requirements and are interested in becoming a Risk Assessor of Lifts, please email to (lesd@emsd.gov.hk).
Guideline on Risk Assessment for Traction Lifts [PDF format(0.98MB)]
Code of Conduct for Accredited Risk Assessors of Lifts [PDF format(136KB)]
Lifts lacking essential safety devices should undergo a risk assessment to allow the Responsible Persons for lifts to identify potential safety risks and develop appropriate improvement measures to enhance safety. Any lift that is not equipped with any of the following essential safety devices is required to undergo a risk assessment:
A risk assessment of lifts is a systematic analysis process aimed at identifying potential safety hazards and risks associated with the management and operation of lifts. It evaluates the impact of these risks on personnel safety, equipment operation, and the environment. Through comprehensive inspections and data analysis, the Responsible Persons for lifts can develop appropriate preventive measures to effectively reduce the likelihood of incidents.
Risk assessments play a crucial role in identifying potential safety hazards early and detecting risks that may exist within the lift system to prevent future incidents. The assessment results also reflect the effectiveness of the current operation and maintenance management, encouraging the Responsible Persons for lifts to review and optimise management processes. Furthermore, the assessment process will classify risks into various levels, helping prioritise issues that require immediate attention. Based on the assessment results, targeted lift modernisation measures, such as repair, replacement or modernisation of equipment, can be developed to effectively reduce the likelihood of incidents and enhance the overall safety level of the lift.
The main difference between a periodic examination and a risk assessment of lifts is that the latter provides a comprehensive risk level analysis and improvement recommendations, helping the Responsible Persons for lifts better understand the lift conditions and the necessary improvement plans. In contrast, a periodic examination only determines whether the lift complies with regulations, without involving risk level analysis or improvement suggestions. Therefore, in addition to the legally mandated regular inspections, conducting a risk assessment offers a more thorough understanding of the actual operational status of the lifts, assisting the Responsible Persons for lifts in promoting safety management and improvements. Furthermore, risk assessments are generally conducted on a five-year cycle, while periodic examinations are carried out annually.
Professionals who wish to serve as Risk Assessors must meet one of the following qualification criteria and have completed the relevant training course accredited by the EMSD and passed the examination:
The Responsible Persons for lifts can directly engage an Accredited Risk Assessor of Lift from the list available on the EMSD's website, or engage one through their maintenance contractor for an independent risk assessment. All Risk Assessors are required to sign a declaration to ensure their independence during the risk assessment process.
The EMSD does not charge any fees for risk assessments of lifts. However, the Responsible Persons for lifts are to bear the costs associated with arranging or engaging a registered lift contractor or independent Risk Assessor to conduct the assessment.
If there is any dispute over the contents of a risk assessment report, the relevant parties should first engage in on-site discussions, allowing the Risk Assessor to make an objective judgement and present and explain the report to the relevant parties. To resolve the dispute, the Responsible Person for the lift may commission an independent third party to conduct a review and prepare an independent audit report. This independent audit must be performed by a registered lift engineer to ensure impartiality. If the Responsible Person for the lift and/or the registered lift contractor still has disagreements on the risk assessment report, a written request may be submitted to the EMSD for further review. The EMSD may require all parties to provide supporting evidence (such as photographs, videos) to assist in the review process.
Upon completion of the risk assessment, the Risk Assessor must upload and submit the report through the Digital Log-books System for Lifts and Escalators. This system allows the Responsible Persons for lifts, contractors and the EMSD to manage and analyse relevant data, facilitating joint monitoring of the lift's condition by all relevant parties.
According to the Lifts and Escalators Ordinance (Cap. 618), the Responsible Person for a lift (such as the building owner or owners' corporation) must 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 Responsible Person for the lift is obligated to take appropriate measures, including conducting risk assessments and following up on recommendations, to identify potential hazards and implement safety measures to protect users. A registered lift engineer must rigorously and comprehensively review the contents of the risk assessment report and follow up during the next periodic examination to ensure lift safety.
A Risk Assessor of Lifts should have an employment relationship with, or be affiliated with the same company as, the registered lift contractor responsible for the routine maintenance of the lift in question. To ensure the independence and objectivity of risk assessments, all Accredited Risk Assessors of Lifts are required to sign a "Declaration and Undertaking for Accredited Risk Assessor of Lifts" before conducting each risk assessment, declaring their independence. This requirement aims to avoid potential conflicts of interest and ensure that the risk assessment process is fair, objective, and complies with professional standards. The Responsible Person for lifts should be mindful of this requirement when engaging a Risk Assessor to safeguard the credibility and effectiveness of the assessment results.