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Good partnership enhances building safety
The pursuit of quality and safety in buildings and construction in Hong Kong relies on the cooperative and responsible partnership among the building industry, the professionals, and the Government.
The Director of Buildings, Dr Choi Yu-leuk, made the remarks when addressing the opening of the 13th International Building and Construction Exposition at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre this (Wednesday) morning.
He said in the process of building construction, the Government had been playing a regulating and facilitating role to ensure public safety and a satisfactory built environment.
He noted that the Buildings Department had set up a Site Monitoring Section last October to monitor demolition and building sites to ensure that the works on those sites were carried out in a safe manner.
"In the last six months, the team has conducted 1,500 site inspections and has issued 210 advisory letters to building professionals for improvement of site safety.
"The team has won the acclaim of the professionals and contractors in helping to create a safe building environment, safe to the workers and the public alike," Dr Choi said.
Furthermore, for the past year, the department has been discussing with the building professionals and the industry on enhancing safety management of building sites.
The essence consists of refining the requirements and improving the procedure for registering as building contractors and improving the standards on site safety management and clarifying the responsibilities of each party, Dr Choi said.
"These improvements are planned to be implemented with the new approach of self-regulation.
"In line with this approach, the Government will introduce new codes of practice on the management and supervision of the building process," he added.
In order to ensure the new codes are realistic and enforceable by all parties concerned while achieving the objective of enhancing safety, Dr Choi stressed that the professions and the industry would be invited to participate in the drafting of the codes.