Experts urge stricter lift engineer licensing after Taizoom safety failures
Engineering experts call for tighter licensing rules for lift engineers after Taizoom Elevator Company installed lifts missing fire-rated door frames in 152 buildings, citing deliberate cost-cutting and oversight gaps.
Engineering experts have urged Hong Kong authorities to tighten licensing requirements for registered engineers following the discovery that lifts installed by Taizoom Elevator Company (HK) Limited in 152 buildings were missing fire-rated door frame assemblies, a safety breach they say suggests deliberate corner-cutting.
Ir Ho Wing-ip, a registered engineer and adjunct professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, said the high non-compliance rate was no accident and pointed to a deliberate attempt to maximise profit. He noted that while most industry players avoid such risks because violations are eventually exposed, the current oversight system relies heavily on trust, with fire safety components omitted from routine technical checklists. Ho called for stricter engineer registration and five-year renewal rules incorporating four conditions: academic qualifications, training, work experience and professional conduct.
Louis Szeto Ka-sing, past chairman of the Hong Kong Institution of Engineers' mechanical, marine, naval architecture and chemical division, attributed the oversight to fragmented subcontracting, poor communication among workers and an uncooperative industry mindset. He explained that the fire door frames are installed inside the inner doors, making them virtually impossible to detect from outside or inside the lift without accessing the top of the lift car. However, Szeto emphasised that Taizoom remains ultimately responsible for final quality control, adding that private buildings face practical concerns over property devaluation if full lists of affected buildings are made public.
Housing Authority member Scott Leung Man-kwong described the incident as very serious and questioned whether fraud was involved. He advised establishing an interdepartmental early warning mechanism to share information and manage risk during procurement, while urging authorities to enhance inspection manpower to plug regulatory loopholes.