Langham Place Elevator Accident Investigation: Personnel Dereliction of Duty Device Failure

【Commentary】On March 25, an escalator accident occurred at Langham Place, a well-known shopping mall in Mong Kok, Hong Kong, injuring 18 people. On June 9, the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department of the Hong Kong SAR Government issued an investigation report, pointing out that through the closed-circuit television, it was found that the engineers and engineers responsible for elevator inspection and maintenance had not fulfilled their responsibilities and did not ensure that the works were carried out properly and safely.

【Commentary】Peng Yaoxiong, assistant director of the Mechanical and Electrical Engineering Department, said that the escalator was not overloaded at that time, but the main drive chain was broken due to metal fatigue, and one of the two springs of the drive chain breaker was locked and lost its effectiveness at the time of the incident, and under the double failure, the escalator overspeed in the opposite direction, and eventually an accident occurred.

【During the same period】Assistant Director of Gases and General Legislation of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department of the HKSAR Government Pang Yiu-hung

The accident of this escalator is caused by the double failure of the main drive chain and the drive chain breaking device, the main drive chain break is caused by metal fatigue, and the other chain plates of the drive chain We have seen some cracks and fractures, we believe that these fractures do not appear overnight, as for the drive chain break device, the device has accumulated some sticky grease, and one of the two slingshots in the device has been locked before the incident. This reduces the power of the propeller boots to the slingshot by half.

【Commentary】Director of the Electrical and Mechanical Services Department Chen Fan also said that the incident was an isolated situation, and afterwards the Department inspected more than 1,700 elevators in Hong Kong, the contractor of the escalators involved, Otis Company, as well as other escalators more than 15 meters long, all in normal operation and maintenance.

【At the same time】The Director of Electrical and Mechanical Services Department of the HKSAR Government, Mr Chan Fan

The incident in question is basically an isolated case, because based on the results of our inspection of all the escalators over 15 meters long after the fact, as well as all the more than 1700 or so Otis escalators in existence, in fact, we found that the vast majority of them were in compliance with regulations and safety.

【Commentary】At about 4 p.m. on the day of the Langham Place elevator accident, the escalator was carrying nearly 100 people from the 4th floor to the 8th floor, suddenly retreating down for 14 seconds, the crowd on the elevator lost its balance like dominoes rolling down, screaming everywhere, and the elevator was finally stopped by the citizens pressing the emergency button.