XN000022-1976-08-09 — Page 7

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MONDAY, AUGUST 9, 1976

FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU CARRIED OUT 117,800 INSPECTIONS

IN FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR

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THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT CARRIED OUT OVER 117,830 INSPECTIONS, RE-INSPECTIONS AND FOLLOW-UP VISITS TO RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG DURING THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF THIS YEAR.

THE TOTAL REPRESENTS AN INCREASE OF SOME 46 PER CENT OVER THE FIGURES OF THE SAME PERIOD IN 1975.

ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY, COMPLAINTS FEATURED LARGELY IN THE TOTAL WITH MORE THAN 59,130 RELATING TO MEANS OF ESCAPE. A FURTHER 12,080 GENERAL COMPLAINTS WERE INVESTIGATED.

MORE THAN 24,350 INSPECTIONS OF FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL PREMISES WERE CARRIED OUT.

INSPECTIONS RELATED TO THE MANUFACTURE AND STORAGE OF DANGEROUS GOODS NUMBERED 3,802.

APART FROM LOOKING INTO COMPLAINTS ABOUT MEANS OF ESCAPE THE BUREAU ALSO CARRIED OUT 6,062 REGULAR VISITS TO BUILDINGS TO ENSURE THAT THE EXITS ARE FREE OF OBSTRUCTIONS.

DURING THE PERIOD UNDER REVIEW, THE VENTILATION DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT INSPECTED 3,625 SYSTEMS IN BUILDINGS AND VARIOUS INDUSTRIES.

OTHER INSPECTIONS INCLUDED RESTAURANTS AND NIGHTCLUBS (1,867), SCHOOLS (1,479), FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS (1,259), CINEMAS AND THEATRES (291), DANCE HALLS (67), TIMBER YARDS (96), NEON SIGNS (48) AND MISCELLANEOUS (1,210).

DEPTH.

ALTOGETHER 113 FIRES WERE INVESTIGATED BY FIRE OFFICERS IN

THE NUMBER OF PLANS RECEIVED AND PROCESSED IN RESPECT OF NEW BUILDING PROJECTS WAS 3,556.

OVER 1,080 VEHICLES USED FOR CONVEYING COMPRESSED GASES AND INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS WERE EXAMINED IN CONNECTION WITH THE SCHEME TO LICENSE SUCH VEHICLES ANNUALLY.

IN ADDITION 4,730 FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT NOTICES WERE ISSUED AND 869 PROSECUTIONS WERE TAKEN OUT RESULTING IN THE IMPOSITION OF FINES AMOUNTING OVER $459,260.

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