XN000022-1977-03-07 — Page 5

MONDAY, MARCH 7, 1977

F.S.D. INSPECTS SOME 250,000 PREMISES LAST YEAR

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THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT MADE NEARLY 250,000 INSPECTIONS OF ALL TYPES OF PREMISES THROUGHOUT HONG KONG IN 1976, ACCORDING TO STATISTICS RELEASED TODAY.

1975.

THE FIGURE (247,467) WAS 54 PER CENT UP OVER THE TOTAL FOR

COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC ACCOUNTED FOR ALMOST 60 PER CENT OF THE INSPECTIONS, WITH 120,313 RELATING TO MEANS OF ESCAPE AND 27,050 CONCERNING VARIOUS OTHER HAZARDS.

APART FROM INVESTIGATING THESE COMPLAINTS, STAFF OF THE BUREAU CARRIED OUT 12,950 REGULAR VISITS TO BUILDINGS TO ENSURE THAT THEIR EXITS WERE FREE FROM OBSTRUCTIONS.

DURING THE YEAR, MORE THAN 53,400 INSPECTIONS OF FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL PREMIŠES AND 7,530 INSPECTIONS OF VENTILATION SYSTEMS IN BUILDINGS AND INDUSTRY WERE UNDERTAKEN.

INSPECTIONS RELATED TO THE MANUFACTURE AND STORAGE OF DANGEROUS GOODS TOTALLED 7,287.

THERE WERE CLOSE TO 13,100 VISITS RELATED TO RESTAURANTS, NIGHT CLUBS, SCHOOLS, FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS, CINEMAS, DANCE HALLS, TIMBER YARDS AND NEON SIGNS.

ALTOGETHER 174 FIRES WERE INVESTIGATED IN DEPTH BY FIRE

OFFICERS.

OVER 1,940 INSPECTIONS WERE MADE ON VEHICLES USED FOR CONVEYING COMPRESSED GASES AND INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS AND 1,920 INSPECTIONS WERE CARRIED OUT ON CHILD CARE CENTRES.

THE NUMBER OF PLANS RECEIVED AND PROCESSED IN RESPECT OF NEW BUILDING PROJECTS WAS 7,544.

OFFICERS OF THE BUREAU CONDUCTED 162 FIRE PREVENTION LECTURES ON THE RUDIMENTS OF FIRE FIGHTING FOR STUDENTS AS WELL AS STAFF OF PRIVATE ORGANISATIONS AND OTHER GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.

DURING THE 12-MONTH PERIOD, 9,705 FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT NOTICES WERE ISSUED AND 1,874 PROSECUTIONS WERE TAKEN OUT RESULTING IN FINES AMOUNTING TO OVER $1.05 MILLION BEING. IMPOSED IN RESPECT OF VARIOUS CONTRAVENTIONS OF FIRE REGULATIONS.

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