Hospital Authority's statement regarding calibration certificate for vibration sensor used in hospital redevelopment and expansion projects
The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:
The spokesperson for the Hospital Authority (HA) issued the following statement today (December 10) regarding the calibration certificate for vibration sensor used in hospital redevelopment and expansion projects:
The HA yesterday (December 9) reported to the police a suspected case of forged calibration certificate for vibration sensor for further investigation. A subcontractor named Novox Limited (Novox) submitted the calibration certificate to the main contractor, China Railway Construction Group Co.,Ltd (CRCC), for the expansion project of the Lai King Building in Princess Margaret Hospital (LKB). And the certificate was submitted to HA through the main contractor. Subsequent verification by the HA confirmed that the calibration certificate was not issued by the Guangdong Zhongzhenghang Metrology Testing Co., Ltd as listed on the certificate.
The HA takes this matter very seriously thus actively reporting to the Police. The HA has also instructed the main contractor to rigorously follow up and thoroughly investigate the incident. The HA has also requested the main contractor to suspend the work of the subcontractor, Novox Limited (Novox) and the HA reserves all rights to pursue legal action against any breach of hospital construction contract.
Vibration sensors are installed at hospital redevelopment and expansion sites to ensure that vibrations generated by construction works do not affect hospital operations and medical services. Apart from installing vibration sensors at hospital construction sites, the project team will also deploy portable instruments for manual monitoring where necessary. The vibration sensors are generally calibrated annually by the contractor to ensure the accuracy of the monitoring data. The contractor is also required to provide a certificate after the calibration.
The spokesperson for the HA emphasized, "These monitoring instruments serve a precautionary purpose. In parallel, the main contractor also use portable instruments for manual monitoring. We are also closely monitoring the feedbacks by our stakeholders. Should any healthcare staff report any service disturbance from the construction work, regardless of whether the vibration levels exceed specified limits, the hospital will prioritize patient safety and medical services by immediately suspending the relevant construction work. Over the past six months, the HA has not received any reports of medical services being suspended due to vibrations caused by hospital construction."
The spokesperson added that the HA has conducted a preliminary assessment of the incident that there was no impact on medical services nor patient safety.
The HA is highly committed to ensuring the safety and management of hospital construction projects. All hospital construction contracts specify reference levels for acceptable vibration levels to ensure the impact of construction on hospital operations and medical services is minimized. The HA will investigate the relevant projects comprehensively, to verify all surveillance data and the process of data upload. The HA also strictly requires contractors to implement measures ensuring all works comply with relevant regulations. Regular inspections by the construction consultants are conducted to monitor contractors' adherence to the requirements and verify compliance standards.
Novox was a subcontractor of vibration monitoring hired by the main contractors in various hospital redevelopment and expansion projects (including the LKB expansion project), whereas BEWIS Sensing Technology LLC (BEWIS) was the subcontractor of Novox in vibration sensor supply and equipment calibration.
On October 27, HA received notification from BEWIS stating that the contractual relationship with Novox has already been terminated. After redeiving such information, the HA immediately inquired the main contractors of all relevant hospital construction projects, requiring them to ensure that all projects remain unaffected. The HA also instructed the construction consultants and main contractors to reassess the performance of projects undertaken by Novox. Main contractors were reminded to strengthen supervision to ensure project quality meets standards and contractual requirements. The HA has also required all main contractors to commission accredited testing centers to recalibrate vibration sensors and submit certificates.
OnNovember 15, the HA subsequently received five calibration certificates by Novox from the main contractor of LKB. Among all, four of the calibration were conducted on October 28, 2025, while the remaing one was conducted on November25, 2024. Meanwhile, the HA received a relevant enquiry from HK01 on November 18. For the sake of prudency, the HA particularly tried to verify the authenticity of the certificate with the accredited testing centers. On December 8, the HA received notification through CRCC that the relevant authority had not issued such calibration certificate and suspected that the document was forged.
Currently, apart from the LKB, Novox has also undertaken vibration monitoring projects for other hospitals, including Kwong Wah Hospital, Our Lady of Maryknoll Hospital, Grantham Hospital, and North District Hospital. Novox has also been appointed by various main contractors on real time noise and vibration monitoring system and the online monitoring platform, as well as noise and dust meters. In view of the abovementioned incidents, the HA will comprehensively review and trace all hospital construction projects and services commissioned by Novox, and the certificates submitted by Novox. The HA has zero tolerance on fraudulence. If any fraudulent activity is discovered, the matter will definitely be referred to the police for further investigation and damages will be claimed.
The Hospital Authority, Photo source: reference image
