A lift contractor, two of its directors and two staff members were charged on Monday with failing to maintain a lift that plunged to the ground, injuring seven people in North Point in March.
The lift managed by Shineford Engineering fell from the first floor to the ground floor of a building at 480 King’s Road on March 2.
An investigation found in July that four of the lift’s suspension cables broke due to severe abrasive wear and lack of lubrication. It said the cables had been rusty for more than one year before the accident and engineers should have spotted the problem during checks that were supposed to be performed every two weeks.
Shineford and the two directors are now facing two charges. The first charge alleges that the company failed to ensure that lift works were undertaken while the second alleges that lift work was subcontracted out to a person who was not a lift contractor without prior written permission of the Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services.
The Electrical and Mechanical Services Department said the maximum penalty for Shineford Engineering and its two directors was a HK$100,000 fine and one year in jail if convicted.
A registered lift engineer is facing charges of failing to examine the suspension ropes and the traction sheave of the lift, and of knowingly signing and issuing a safety certificate without ensuring the lift was safe.