The Electrical & Mechanical Services Department will enhance surprise inspections of all 1,448 lifts in housing estates under the Tenants Purchase Scheme to ensure they are maintained in accordance with statutory requirements.

The department today said the move is in response to the three consecutive lift incidents occurring in the estates under the scheme. It will ask relevant registered contractors to conduct comprehensive checks of those lifts within a month.

The department and Housing Department will jointly set up a working group to explore how to enhance lift safety in those estates.

The Government has taken measures to strengthen the existing regulatory framework to enhance lift safety in Hong Kong.

Measures taken

Since mid November, the department has increased the level of surprise inspections from the previous one-in-10 to one-in-seven. The total number of inspections will rise from 4,900 to 7,000 a year.

A new e-platform was launched on January 2 for the registered lift contractors to report  the  annual examinations schedule to the department.

Through an established working group with the registered contractors' associations and the workers' union, the department is reviewing the guidelines in the code of practice related to lift maintenance and safety standards.

The department has also put in place a new mechanism to announce serious lift incidents within 12 hours of confirmation. A summary of reported lift incidents will be posted on its website by January 16.