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Enclosure II.
Report of the Sub-Committee of Legislation.
I. We have had specially referred to us paragraph 16 of the minute of the Chief Officer, Fire Brigade.
II. As regards the first point which he raises, namely the amendment of section 4 (1) of Ordinance 20 of 1923, we concur generally that legislation should be made suffi- ciently strict to ensure the adequate maintenance of discipline.
III. As regards the further legislation suggested by the Chief Officer, Fire Brigade, we quite agree that the owners of high buildings, five storeys and over, owe a duty not only to themselves but also to the owners of adjacent buildings in regard to the provision of adequate fire-fighting apparatus.
We agree also that measures regarding fire-escapes, auxiliary pumps, general fire service, and outside connections (to enable Fire Brigade appliances to increase the pres- sure in the fire-mains in a building by attaching the motor-pumps to the connections outside the building) should be made compulsory by legislation, and that such legislation should be made applicable, as far as practicable, to old as well as to new buildings.
IV. The provision of adequate systems of fire-alarms also seems to require attention.
V. Whilst dealing with the subject of legislation relating to Fires, we have deemed it advisable to go through Mr. Dyer Ball's new edition of the Regulations of Hongkong, for the purpose of seeing whether we would detect any deficiencies in the existing regu lations; the following comments occur to us :-
(1) It is useless to require hoses, etc., to be supplied unless they are inspected and tested at regular intervals by some competent officer of the Fire Brigade to show, for instance, not merely that such hoses are apparently in good order, but also that they are strong enough to bear water being forced through them at a high pressure in order to get to the top of a high building.
(2) We understand that, in fact, certain fire-fighting appliances have been installed in certain buildings with the approval of the Authorities, and sealed up. Unless the seals are at specified intervals broken, subject to the approval of the Chief Officer, Fire Brigade, and the apparatus subjected to full testing to the satisfaction of the Chief Officer, or his deputy, just as if there were an actual fire in the building, it may be found that when a fire occurs such apparatus is defective, with disastrous results not only to the building in question, but also to the adjacent buildings. We therefore suggest that legislation to cover (1) and (2) might be conveniently inserted in the Fire Brigade Ordi- nance, 1923.
(3) It has occurred to us that legislation may be desirable to deal with risks of
fires in restaurants or in chemists' stores.
(4) Another point which seems to be worth inquiring into is in connection with oil-tanks, namely, whether the Regulations (in Part VII at pages 50 to 56 of Mr. Dyer Ball's Edition) are sufficient in all respects. In this connection the following comments occur to us :——
(i) Regulation 5 reads as follows:-
"An efficient fire service to the satisfaction of the Chief Officer of the Fire Brigade shall be provided in each installation, and the employees shall be instructed periodically in the use of the various appliances.”
What is meant by "periodically"? And by whom are such employees to be instructed? Ought not such instructions to be given by such an officer as is referred to in Regulation 11?
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