A Hong Kong property management company has been fined for allowing residents to use a lift for more than two months after its safety certificate had expired.
Sunbase International Properties Management was fined HKD10,000 at Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Court today for contravening the Lifts and Escalators Ordinance, marking the first conviction since the law was enacted in 2012.
The company, which is responsible for managing the lifts at Chak Mei House in Yau Tong, allowed the elevator to remain in service for more than two months after its safety certificate expired on March 22.
“This is the first time that the responsible person of a lift has been convicted for contravening the Ordinance since its enactment in December 2012. We welcome the verdict and will continue to strictly enforce the law to ensure safe and reliable lift services for the public,” a spokesman for the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said.
Under the ordinance, all lifts must be examined by a registered engineer every year, with the certificate displayed in a prominent place inside the lift cab. The personal responsible must arrange for an examination within two months of the expiry date or stop operating the elevator.
The maximum penalty for contravening the ordinance is a fine of HKD100,000 and 12 months in jail, though people probably have to actually die for you to be handed down anything close to that.
Photo: Toby Oxborrorw
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