The Government has all along been attaching great importance to lift and escalator safety. Apart from regulating the design, installation, maintenance, commissioning and examination of lifts and escalators through the Lifts and Escalators Ordinance (Cap. 618) (the Ordinance), the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department (EMSD) under the Development Bureau also conducts regular inspections and surprise checks of the lifts and escalators covered by the Ordinance. In order to enhance the effectiveness of regulation and inspection of lifts and escalators, the EMSD has actively leveraged technologies. This time, I have invited a colleague from the EMSD to introduce the Digital Log-books for Lifts and Escalators (DLBs) that achieved great success at the International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva last year, and the artificial intelligence (AI)-based Lifts and Escalators Condition Analysis System (LECAS) being developed, as well as inviting a stakeholder to share about the use of DLBs.

Facilitating joint monitoring of lift and escalator maintenance work by various stakeholders with the use of DLBs

Mr LUI Graham, Engineer of the EMSD, states that the Ordinance requires the responsible persons (RPs) for lifts and escalators to keep log-books for their lifts and escalators for recording relevant works information. In the past, these log-books were kept in paper format, where damage of records and missing of pages or even an entire log-book could happen. The levels of data authenticity and modification traceability of such log-books are also lower than those of the digital versions. Thus, the EMSD launched the DLBs at the end of 2022 to realise the digitalisation of log-books and replace the conventional paper-bound log-books. The DLBs enable the RPs for lifts and escalators, the management personnel and practitioners of maintenance contractors as well as the supervisory and inspection personnel of the Government to monitor, record, manage and analyse information related to lift and escalator maintenance in real time through a mobile application (app) or an online platform, facilitating joint monitoring of the relevant maintenance work by various stakeholders, and thereby enhancing the effectiveness of lift and escalator management. As at the end of February this year, out of more than 80 000 lifts and escalators in Hong Kong, over 36 000 have adopted the DLBs, accounting for about 45% of the total, and the adoption rate has steadily increased.

Ubiquitous monitoring in real time through digital log-books contrary to time-consuming analysis of paper-bound log-books

Mr LAU Chi-chuen, Enzo, General Manager (Technical) of Kai Shing Management Services Limited, states that the company he is working in currently manages more than 170 property projects, involving about 3 000 lifts and escalators. As the log-books were kept in paper format in the past, a great deal of manpower and time was required to input the data manually into the Excel spreadsheet for analysis and further consolidation by supervisory personnel was also required. Moreover, paper-bound log-books will become worn out over time, resulting in unclear records, which also affects the accuracy of the data analysis.

Mr Enzo LAU explains that following the full adoption of DLBs by the company, relevant colleagues can check the latest work records of the lifts and escalators that they manage through the mobile app anytime and anywhere, and also learn about the condition of the machinery of the lifts and escalators by viewing the photos in the DLBs.

DLBs won the bronze medal at the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva with overseas recognition

Mr LUI Graham states that users can sign in the DLBs system via the iAM Smart app or through biometric authentication in a secure and convenient manner. In addition, the DLBs system adopts the blockchain and Global Positioning System technologies, rendering the records tamper-resistant, thus ensuring the authenticity of the work information. Not only can the DLBs system enable the RPs to thoroughly understand the condition of the lifts and escalators and manage the facilities more effectively, it can also allow trade practitioners to conveniently access and input work records and therefore improve their work efficiency. Furthermore, contractors are able to monitor the work progress, allowing for effective work planning and resource allocation. Moreover, the EMSD can conduct data analysis in order to formulate suitable strategies to enhance regulatory effectiveness.

At the 48th International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva last year, the DLBs gained overseas recognition. The EMSD won a total of 23 awards, among which the DLBs received the bronze medal. The International Exhibition of Inventions of Geneva is one of the most significant global annual events on inventions. About 1 000 inventions from 40 countries and regions were evaluated by the international jury of specialists.

EMSD’s development of an artificial intelligence system to enhance the capacity for examining the condition of lift and escalator components

Besides, Mr LUI Graham says that the EMSD is actively enhancing the functions of DLBs, including developing an AI system to analyse the photos of the main components of lifts and escalators collected by the department, so as to check the condition of those components, as well as that of the lifts and escalators concerned, with the analysis results then disseminated to the RPs for lifts and escalators, contractors and colleagues of our department through the DLBs platform for appropriate follow-up. Currently, in every year, the EMSD conducts about 30 000 inspections of lifts and escalators, and randomly examines about 2.5 million photos of lift and escalator components submitted by the trade through the online platform to check whether there are any abnormalities in the components. The new AI system will significantly enhance the current limited examination capacity, by switching from random manual inspections of a relatively small number of photos to examining all the photos by the AI system, without the need for additional human resources. The system is expected to be launched in the fourth quarter of this year.

Mr LUI Graham states that the EMSD, being the regulator of lift and escalator safety, will continue to adopt a smart regulatory approach, develop innovative ideas, and optimise its regulatory and inspection work in the future to improve lift and escalator safety.