FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1982
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WARNING ABOUT FIRE DEATH TRAPS
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A SENIOR FIRE OFFICER WARNED TODAY (FRIDAY) THAT BLOCKED MEANS OF ESCAPE IN A BUILDING COULD BECOME DEATH TRAPS IN A FIRE.
HE SAID THAT OBSTRUCTIONS IN THE FORM OF LOCKED METAL GATES OR PILED-UP MATERIALS IN COMMON AREAS WOULD NOT ONLY IMPEDE ESCAPE DURING A FIRE, BUT WOULD ALSO ASSIST THE SPREAD OF A FIRE.
SPEAKING AT A PRESS CONFERENCE TO LAUNCH THE 1982/83 FIRE PREVENTION CAMPAIGN, THE ACTING DEPUTY CHIEF FIRE OFFICER OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT'S FIRE PROTECTION BUREAU, MR LAM CHEK-YUEN, SAID THAT THIS YEAR'S CAMPAIGN WOULD PLACE EMPHASIS ON THE IMPORTANCE OF KEEPING MEANS OF ESCAPE CLEAR AT ALL TIMES.
ALSO PRESENT AT THE PRESS CONFERENCE WERE THE SENIOR HOUSING MANAGER OF THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT'S SQUATTER AREA IMPROVEMENT DIVISION, MR CHU CHA1-KUEN, AND THE DEPUTY CHIEF FACTORY INSPECTOR OF THE LABOUR DEPARTMENT, MR YIP YUK-LUN.
THE CAMPAIGN WILL BE BACKED UP BY STRENGTHENED FIRE SERVICES LEGISLATION.
IN JULY THIS YEAR, THE MAXIMUM FINE FOR FAILURE TO ABATE A FIRE HAZARD WAS INCREASED BY MORE THAN 12 TIMES, FROM $2 000 TO $25 000, AND THE DAILY FINE FOR NOT COMPLYING WAS RAISED SIGNIFICANTLY, FROM $40 TO $2 500.
MR LAM POINTED OUT THAT IN TWO RECENT COURT CASES, FINES OF $5 000 WERE IMPOSED FOR FAILING TO ABATE A FIRE HAZARD,
+ IT IS HOPED THAT THE IMPOSITION OF HIGHER FINES, COUPLED WITH PUBLICITY, WILL ACT AS AN EFFECTIVE DETERRENT, + MR LAM SAID. IF THIS DOES NOT WORK, +SERIOUS CONSIDERATION WILL BE GIVEN TO AMENDING THE LEGISLATION TO ACHIEVE THE DESIRED EFFECT, HE ADDED.
MR LAM SAID THAT FOR THE NINE MONTHS ENDING SEPTEMBER THIS YEAR, THERE WERE 9 279 FIRE CALLS, WITH 422 INJURIES AND 33 DEATHS.
HE SAID THE DIRECT FINANCIAL LOSS IN 1981 AS REPORTED BY THE FIRE INSURANCE ASSOCIATION OF HONG KONG WAS $150 MILLION EQUIVALENT TO ABOUT 900 HOME OWNERSHIP HOUSING UNITS AT PRICES BASED ON THE LAST PROMULGATION.
+THE INDIRECT FINANCIAL LOSS THROUGH THE LOSS OF PRODUCTION WAS PROBABLY CONSIDERABLY MORE, HE ADDED.
/MA LAM