Hong Kong authorities have ordered all registered lift contractors to review the design and construction of landing doors installed over the past 10 years. A government investigation found missing fire-safety components in lifts in at least 78 private buildings and two public housing estates. The director of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department issued the order in a letter on Saturday following inspections into Taizoom Elevator.
Chief engineer Kwan Kar-mun, who issued the letter for the director, said inspections revealed serious deficiencies in major lift alterations by a registered contractor. Kwan said the contractor submitted a fire-resistance rating certificate but installed only the required fire-resistant doors without the corresponding door frame components. Kwan said the lift works were claimed to be complete.
The department imposed four requirements to improve assurance over lift installation and operation. Contractors must review landing door replacements or additions undertaken over the past 10 years starting from October 17, 2017. Contractors must declare that the landing doors and associated frame components have good design and construction, supported by valid documents certifying the required fire-resistance ratings. Contractors must also review other landing doors and associated frame components to ensure safe working condition. The letter urged all lift contractors to submit the relevant declaration forms by November 15.
The department said it would conduct random inspections to verify the submissions. The department has also established a webpage to disclose inspection results publicly. According to the webpage, lifts in 78 blocks in two private estates handled by Taizoom lacked fire-resistant doors as of Saturday. Owners will be notified, and Taizoom must fix the problem at Taizoom's own cost under department supervision.
The department revealed on Thursday that an inspection triggered by a complaint found missing door frame components in Taizoom's installations at the two private estates. The findings involved at least 48 lifts fitted with fire-resistant doors. The department said the contractor submitted a fire-resistance rating certificate and claimed the works were complete. The department subsequently expanded inspections to other lifts installed by the same contractor.
A source said police arrested three Taizoom personnel on suspicion of deception. The suspects included a 79-year-old director and shareholder of Taizoom. The other suspects were registered lift engineers, aged 63 and 82, who examined the installations and signed safety certificates. The source said officers raided Taizoom's office in Chai Wan. The source said the investigation found that the missing components were critical smoke control devices.
Taizoom had replaced nine lifts at Tsui Ping (North) Estate in Kwun Tong. Taizoom had also replaced 39 lifts at Pok Hong Estate in Sha Tin. Both are public housing estates.
The department's quarterly performance ratings gave Taizoom three out of five for service quality. The ratings gave Taizoom the same safety-performance score as other companies. The arrests came two months after 24 of the 28 lifts in Queen Mary Hospital's new 34-storey clinical block were deemed unfit for use.
Hong Kong Orders Lift Contractors to Review Doors Installed Over Past 10 Years
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Summary
Hong Kong authorities ordered lift contractors to review doors installed over the past decade, as part of broader regulatory efforts including CFT (Countering the Financing of Terrorism) compliance. Inspections found missing fire-safety parts in over 78 buildings and two public estates. The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department cited Taizoom Elevator for serious lapses, including falsified fire-resistance certificates. Contractors must submit compliance forms by November 15, with random checks to follow. The department also monitors liquidity and crypto markets for regulatory alignment. Taizoom faces penalties and repairs at its own cost. Police arrested three staff over missing smoke control devices.
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