Regarding a media report and media enquiries about the Request for Inspection and Survey Checking (RISC) forms for the works of Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (HZMB) Hong Kong Link Road (HKLR), the Highways Department (HyD) today (February 10) responded as follows:
The project involved is "HZMB HKLR – Section between Scenic Hill and Hong Kong Boundary Crossing Facilities (HKBCF)" (Contract No. HY/2011/03). The contract included design and construction of the section of HKLR between Scenic Hill on the airport island and the HKBCF, and road links between the HKBCF and the Hong Kong International Airport. The main contractor is China State Construction Engineering (Hong Kong) Limited and the engineering consultant is Ove Arup and Partners Hong Kong Limited.
The Resident Site Staff (RSS) of the engineering consultant reported to the HyD in end July 2018 that the contractor had not submitted over 10 000 RISC forms in time according to the contract requirements, which accounted for about 28 per cent of this type of forms that had to be submitted under the contract.
The HyD had immediately requested the RSS of the engineering consultant to submit the site construction records and received the relevant records in August 2018, including a large number of photo records taken by the RSS during the construction. The HyD has separately appointed an independent consultant to examine such records to ascertain whether the RSS of the engineering consultant have fulfilled their duties of supervising the works of the contractor.
The independent consultant has examined all the records in detail, conducted random checks on the files of the relevant records kept in the computers and met the engineering staff to verify the authenticity of the documents. The independent consultant concluded that as the RSS were able to provide ample evidence in a short period of time, it showed that the engineering consultant had all along stored a large number of photo records in a systematic manner.
During the investigation, the independent consultant had met the RSS of the engineering consultant at different ranks to learn more about the details of the construction works and records kept. All RSS they met were familiarised with the details of the supervision works, indicating that they had truly been involved in the supervisory duties.
During the examination by the independent consultant, no forgery of documents had been found. The independent consultant also confirmed that the RSS of the engineering consultant had discharged their site supervisory duties after examining the records, and submitted a report to the HyD in October 2018.
According to the contract requirements, the contractor has submitted the RISC forms with the dates of the signatures indicating when the forms had been duly signed instead of the construction dates of the relevant works to show that it was a late submission.
The HyD emphasised that the matter does not involve quality issues, but that the contractor had not submitted the documents in time according to the procedures. The HyD had already reflected the unsatisfactory performances of the engineering consultant and the contractor in this matter in the quarterly performance reports, and urged them for improvement. The Government has all along attached great importance to work quality and safety. Before the commissioning of the HZMB, it was confirmed that the construction works were carried out according to the contract requirements and the technical and safety requirements of the works were also met.
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