XN000022-1978-08-06 — Page 6

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SUNDAY, AUGUST 6, 1978

OVER 1,500 PROSECUTIONS TAKEN OUT AGAINST

FIRE REGULATION VIOLATORS IN FIRST HALF OF 1978

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THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT TOOK OUT 1,549 PROSECUTIONS AGAINST DOMESTIC TENANTS AND COMMERCIAL AND FACTORY PROPRIETORS FOR BREAKING FIRE REGULATIONS DURING THE FIRST HALF OF THIS YEAR A DROP OF ABOUT 18 PER CENT COMPARED WITH 1,826 IN SAME PERIOD LAST YEAR.

THE TOTAL FINES IMPOSED IN THESE CASES AMOUNTED TO $402,220 $303,565 LESS THAN FOR FIRST SIX MONTHS LAST YEAR.

A SPOKESMAN FOR THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT SAID THE CASES MAINLY RELATED TO OBSTRUCTION OF STAIRCASES AND MEANS OF ESCAPE, FAILURE TO PROPERLY MAINTAIN FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS WITHIN BUILDINGS OR TO COMPLY WITH FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT REQUIREMENTS.

THE SPOKESMAN POINTED OUT THESE ARE THE OFFENCES MOST COMMONLY DISCOVERED BY FIRE OFFICERS DURING INSPECTIONS.

HE URGED THE PUBLIC TO OBSERVE FIRE REGULATIONS AND REPORT ANY FIRE HAZARD TO THE FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU ON 5-281224 WHICH MAINTAINS A ROUND-THE-CLOCK SERVICE.

DURING FIRST SIX MONTHS THIS YEAR, FIRE OFFICERS CONDUCTED 133,467 INSPECTIONS, RE-INSPECTIONS AND FOLLOW-UP VISITS TO RESIDENTIAL AND INDUSTRIAL BUILDINGS THROUGHOUT HONG KONG, KOWLOON AND THE NEW TERRITORIES.

OF THESE MORE THAN 86,000 INSPECTIONS WERE PROMPTED BY COMPLAINTS FROM THE PUBLIC AND 76,179 WERE RELATED TO BLOCKAGES OF MEANS OF ESCAPE.

THERE WERE 8,230 ROUTINE INSPECTIONS OF MEANS OF ESCAPE AND 25,232 VISITS TO FACTORIES AND INDUSTRIAL UNDERTAKINGS.

IN ADDITION, OVER 7,700 VISITS WERE MADE TO PLACES OF PUBLIC ASSEMBLY, RESTAURANTS AND NIGHT CLUBS, SCHOOLS, TIMBER YARDS AND STORAGE AND INSPECTIONS OF VENTILATION SYSTEMS.

DURING THE SAME PERIOD, 2,485 INSPECTIONS WERE MADE ON THE STORAGE AND MANUFACTURING OF DANGEROUS GOODS, 2,136 ON FIRE SERVICE INSTALLATIONS, 1,002 ON VEHICLES USED FOR CONVEYING COMPRESSED GASES AND INFLAMMABLE LIQUIDS, AND 381 ON CHILD CARE CENTRES.

A TOTAL OF 3,936 NEW BUILDING PLANS WERE PROCESSED AND 1,626 DANGEROUS GOODS AND TIMBER YARDS STORAGE LICENCES WERE ISSUED OR RENEWED.

FIRE OFFICERS ALSO CONDUCTED IN-DEPTH INVESTIGATIONS INTO CAUSES OF 37 FIRES AND GAVE 75 FIRE PREVENTION LECTURES,

THE NUMBER OF FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT NOTICES ISSUED BETWEEN JANUARY 1 AND JUNE 30 THIS YEAR, TOTALLED 4,664.

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