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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1982
FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS FOR HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS
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IN MANY HIGH-RISE BUILDINGS WHICH HAD PROPER MANAGEMENT STATUTORY FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS WERE BEING ADEQUATELY ENFORCED. HOWEVER, FOR BUILDINGS WHERE SUCH MANAGEMENT DID NOT EXIST, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH MULTI-OWNERSHIP, THE POSITION WAS LESS SATISFACTORY.
THE
THIS WAS STATED BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, THE HON LEWIS DAVIES IN REPLY TO A QUESTION BY THE HON CHEUNG YAN-LUNG IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY.
MR DAVIES SAID THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT EXAMINED PLANS FOR ALL NEW BUILDINGS TO ENSURE THAT APPROPRIATE FIRE SERVICES INSTALLATIONS AND EQUIPMENT WERE INCLUDED. ON COMPLETION, EACH BUILDING WAS INSPECTED TO ENSURE THAT THESE REQUIREMENTS HAD BEEN MET, HE SAID.
+AT THIS STAGE FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS ARE SATISFACTORY. HOWEVER, DIFFICULTIES ARISE FOLLOWING THE OCCUPATION OF A BUILDING WHERE MANAGEMENT IS EITHER NOT PROVIDED, OR WHERE IT IS INEFFECTIVE.+
MR DAVIES SAID THE LAW REQUIRED THE OWNER OF ANY PREMISES IN WHICH FIRE SERVICE EQUIPMENT WAS INSTALLED TO KEEP SUCH EQUIPMENT
IN EFFICIENT WORKING ORDER AND THE DIRECTOR OF FIRE SERVICES WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENFORCING THIS REQUIREMENT.
+BUT THIS IS DIFFICULT IN MULTI-OWNERSHIP BUILDINGS, WHERE MANY INDIVIDUAL OWNERS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE ONE FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATION IN THE BUILDING.+
THIS PROBLEM, HE SAID 'DID NOT ARISE WHERE BUILDINGS HAD OWNERS INCORPORATIONS OR WHERE PROPERTY MANAGEMENT COMPANIES WERE ENGAGED.
+ IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES THE MAINTENANCE OF SATISFACTORY STANDARDS OF FIRE SAFETY CAN ONLY BE ACHIEVED WITH THE COOPERATION OF THOSE OCCUPYING THE BUILDING, MR DAVIES SAID.
TO THIS END, THE FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN COMMITTEE HAD BEEN WORKING WITH THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES TO INCREASE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF FIRE SAFETY STANDARDS AND THE IR ENFORCEMENT.
AT THE SAME TIME THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT WOULD CONTINUE THE IR INSPECTIONS AND WOULD RESPOND TO ANY COMPLAINTS REGARDING FIRE HAZARDS OR OTHER BREACHES OF THE REGULATIONS.
+SO FAR A SATISFACTORY SOLUTION TO THE PROBLEMS POSED BY SOME MULTI-OWNERSHIP BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE DIFFICULTIES SOMETIMES EXPERIENCED IN FORMING A MANAGEMENT ORGANISATION AND THE ESTABLISHMENT AND OPERATION OF AN ADEQUATE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, HAS NOT BEEN FOUND,+ HE SAID.
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