Digital work logs for new lift installations to improve safety checks, says engineer
A senior engineer supports extending digital work logs to new lift installations after 720 lifts were found missing fire-resistant door frames. The logs, with time-stamped photos and videos, are cost-effective and hard to fake, aiding regulatory oversight.
Following the discovery that 720 lifts in Hong Kong were installed without fire-resistant door frame components, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) expects remedial work to be completed within two to three months. Veteran electrical and building services engineer Ho Wing-yip commented on a radio programme that it is currently unclear whether the omission of door frame components is a common practice across the industry, pending reports from all lift companies due by mid-November.
Ho acknowledged the EMSD's regulatory responsibility and supported its proposal to extend the existing digital work log system, currently used for maintenance, to cover new installation and replacement projects. Under the plan, contractors would be required to submit photos and videos documenting the installation of door frame components.
Ho described the digital logs as cost-effective and time-saving, noting that digital images carry time stamps and other metadata that make them difficult to fabricate. He suggested that similar digital documentation could be adopted for other industries to enhance quality control.
The engineer expressed hope that the affected lifts would have their remedial work completed by the end of this year or early next year.