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Saturday, December 9, 1972
PUBLIC URGED TO LIVE WITHIN SAFETY RULES
The Director of Fire Services, Mr. A.E.H. Wood, said today Hong Kong
has now developed into a high-rise environment with "vertical townships" being
formed by many single buildings, and he urged the public to recognise this fact
and learn to live within the safety rules.
He pointed out that fireman's ladders do not exceed 150 feet maximum
height, and it is very unlikely that they will ever be developed to reach a
greater height.
"Hong Kong's buildings are constructed in accordance with a high
standard of fire-resisting construction and compartmentation, all designed
to keep inevitable outbreaks of fire to a minimum size and provide adequate
safe escape routes," he said.
Mr. Wood stressed that people and goods must be able to move freely
within a building and therefore openings are a necessity.
Where openings affect means of escape or compartmentation, they are
required to be protected by self-closing fire doors to re-instate the fire
compartmentation after passage of persons or goods and thus prevent spread of
fire and smoke, he added.
"If these doors are propped open or otherwise interfered with, in the
event of a fire.it is inevitable that fire and smoke will spread further than
the designed area.
"If goods are stacked in escape passages and staircases, the situation
is made even more dangerous," he said.
The Director