14
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1984
PIPED GAS POLICY WINS SUPPORT
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GOVERNMENT'S DECISION TO FOLLOW A PIPED GAS POLICY FOR ALL NEW BUILDINGS HAD GAINED THE SUPPORT AND CO-OPERATION OF THE
INDUSTRY, AND HAD LED TO A DRAMATIC INCREASE IN THE SALE OF PIPED GAS, THE DIRECTOR OF ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SERVICES, MR GRAHAM OSBORNE, SAID TODAY (FRIDAY).
BULK SUPPLIES OF LPG WERE UP MORE THAN 10 PER CENT ON PREVIOUS YEARS AND PIPED TOWN GAS SUPPLIES WERE UP NEARLY 20 PER CENT.
MR OSBORNE, WHO WAS SPEAKING AT THE NINTH ANNUAL DINNER OF THE HONG KONG INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERS, SAID THE PIPED GAS POLICY WAS ONE OF THE MEASURES ADOPTED TO ENHANCE GAS SAFETY IN HONG KONG FOLLOWING THE DEATH OF SIX PEOPLE OVER A TWO-WEEK PERIOD IN 1981 AS A RESULT OF BATHROOM GAS WATER HEATER FACILITIES.
GOVERNMENT-APPOINTED CONSULTANTS WERE ASKED TO EXAMINE NOT JUST GAS WATER HEATER SAFETY REQUIREMENTS BUT ALSO GAS SAFETY OVER THE WHOLE SPECTRUM OF THE INDUSTRY, COVERING THE MANUFACTURE, SUPPLY, STORAGE AND USE OF BOTH TOWN GAS AND LPG.
THE PROBLEM WAS TACKLED IN THREE WAYS, BY MOUNTING A MASSIVE ADVERTISING CAMPAIGN, ENCOURAGING CUSTOMERS TO INSTALL REPLACEMENT GAS WATER HEATERS AND ENSURING, THROUGH THE BUILDING (PLANNING) REGULATIONS. THAT ALL NEW BUILDINGS WERE PROVIDED WITH A CORRECTLY SIZED AND CORRECTLY POSITIONED WALL APERTURE TO ACCEPT THE SAFE, ROOM-SEALED GAS WATER HEATERS.
+CONSULTANTS EXPRESSED CONCERN ABOUT THE WIDESPREAD USE OF PORTABLE LPG CYLINDERS IN CROWDED URBAN DWELLINGS OF HONG KONG. THEY PROPOSED THESE SHOULD BE WITHDRAWN FROM CIRCULATION AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE, MR OSBORNE SAID.
+ THE RECOMMENDATION FAILED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE PRACTICAL PROBLEM THAT ABOUT 800 000 GAS CUSTOMERS IN HONG KONG (ABOUT 60 PER CENT OF ALL THE GAS CUSTOMERS) ARE SUPPLIED THIS WAY.+
INSTEAD GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO FOLLOW THE PIPED GAS POLICY FOR ALL NEW BUILDINGS AND THIS CONCEPT WAS BEING FOLLOWED WITH CO-OPERATION OF THE INDUSTRY.
THE PIPED SUPPLY TO NEW BUILDINGS COULD BE EITHER TOWN GAS OR LPG, PROVIDING THAT IT WAS SUPPLIED FROM A CENTRALISED BULK INSTALLATION WHOSE DESIGN AND LOCATION WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT.
ON OTHER AREAS OF ELECTRICAL AND MECHANICAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT WORK, MR OSBORNE SAID THAT WHEN THE ROYAL HONG KONG JOCKEY CLUB DECIDED IN 1975 TO INCLUDE AN AERIAL ROPEWAY IN ITS OCEAN PARK PROJECT, IT GENERATED CONSIDERABLE ACTIVITY WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT AS THERE WAS NO COVERING LEGISLATION.
/+TO MAKE