FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 1982
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ONCE APPROVAL WAS GIVEN, HE ADDED, ANOTHER ASPECT OF THE BOO DUTIES CAME INTO OPERATION.
+WHEN DEVELOPMENT BEGINS, BOTH DEMOLITION AND CONSTRUCTION WORK MUST BE CARRIED OUT IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE MAN IN THE STREET CAN GO HIS WAY UNDISTURBED BY FEARS OF INJURY. BUT SERIOUS INCIDENTS DO OCCASIONALLY OCCUR,+ MR RILEY SAID.
+SOMETIMES SUCH INCIDENTS OCCUR DESPITE ALL REASONABLE PRECAUTIONS HAVING BEEN TAKEN BUT EXPERIENCE HAS SHOWN THAT OFTEN IT IS THE CALCULATED RISK TAKEN TO SAVE TIME AND USUALLY MONEY - THAT IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF SUCH INCIDENTS, HE NOTED.
WITH REGARD TO UNAUTHORISED EXTENSIONS, HE SAID THE TEMPTATION TO UTILISE ALL FLAT ROOFS AS ADDITIONAL ACCOMMODATION HAD CLEARLY NOT BEEN FIERCELY RESISTED BY THE OCCUPIERS OF PREMISES.
HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT THIS AREA WOULD BE MONITORED WITH INCREASING VIGOR.
MR RILEY SAID THAT NEW BUILDINGS, HOWEVER WELL DESIGNED OR CONSTRUCTED, WERE NOT FREE OF POSSIBLE STABILITY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF TYPHOONS, RAINSTORMS OR FIRES.
+ANY EMERGENCY INCIDENTS REPORTED BY THE PUBLIC CONCERNING PRIVATE BUILDINGS ARE INVESTIGATED BY ENGINEERS, GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERS OR BUILDING SURVEYORS FROM THE BOO WHO ARE ALWAYS ON CALL THROUGH A STANDING EMERGENCY ORGANISATION AND WHO WILL ADVISE ON EMERGENCY MEASURES THAT NEED TO BE TAKEN, TO BE FOLLOWED LATER BY MORE PERMANENT SOLUTIONS, HE ADDED.
+SUCH HAZARDS HAVE AN EVEN GREATER EFFECT ON THE THREE OR FOUR THOUSAND BUILDINGS IN HONG KONG THAT ARE DETERIORATING THROUGH AGE OR THROUGH LACK OF MAINTENANCE.
+MANY OF THESE ARE ALREADY UNDER SURVEILLANCE BY THE DANGEROUS BUILDINGS DIVISION OF THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE OFFICE WHO ALSO CARRY OUT SYSTEMATIC SURVEYS OF AREAS TO IDENTIFY POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS BUILDINGS, HE SAID.
THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE, ALTHOUGH UNSPECTACULAR IN ITS REQUIREMENTS OR IN ITS EFFECT, HE SAID, DID HAVE AN INDIRECT INFLUENCE ON THE LIVES OF VIRTUALLY EVERYBODY IN HONG KONG AND ANY SIGNIFICANT RELAXATION OF THE STANDARDS WHICH HAD BEEN ACCEPTED AND HAD PROVED SUCCESSFUL OVER THE YEARS COULD ONLY RESULT IN A REDUCTION IN THE QUALITY OF THE ENVIRONMENT, AND THE WAY OF LIFE OF THE MAN IN THE STREET.
+THE BUILDING AUTHORITY IS FULLY AWARE OF THE PART THAT HE MUST CONTINUE TO PLAY AND WILL NOT HESITATE TO RESIST ANY EROSION IN THE AREAS OF HIS CONTROL, HE ADDED.