The Lifts and Escalators Ordinance Disciplinary Board has completed hearings for two charges of disciplinary offences brought against Eugene Engineering Company Limited and decided that all the charges are established and the company should be disciplined.
      
     The two disciplinary charges against Eugene are convictions in court for improper lift maintenance at Paris Court, Sheung Shui Town Centre, and failure to notify the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services (DEMS) of subcontracting of lift maintenance works, contravening the Lifts and Escalators Ordinance. The Board ordered that Eugene be fined $85,000 in total as well as pay the expenses incurred in the proceedings of around $110,000. The Board's decision and orders were gazetted today (April 30). Details are available on the website (www.gld.gov.hk/egazette/pdf/20212517/egn202125172443.pdf).

     The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) welcomes the Board's decision and will continue to strictly enforce the Ordinance to ensure the safety and reliability of lift and escalator services, with a view to safeguarding public safety.
      
     On May 11, 2018, an unintended car movement incident happened at Lift No. 5 of Paris Court, Sheung Shui Town Centre, causing the death of a woman aged 64. The EMSD conducted a criminal investigation on the incident and found that Eugene, being the registered lift contractor that undertook maintenance of the lift concerned, had failed to ensure proper periodic maintenance of the lift and to notify the DEMS before subcontracting of lift maintenance works. The EMSD therefore instituted prosecution for Eugene's contravention of the Ordinance. Eugene was convicted by the court on February 22, 2019.

     Having considered the convictions of Eugene in court, and the death of a passenger resulting from the incident, the DEMS, pursuant to Section 109(1) of the Ordinance, referred the disciplinary offences concerned to the Board for disciplinary proceedings.

Ends/Friday, April 30, 2021
Issued at HKT 10:45

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