FRIDAY, JUNE 27, 1986
- 7
OBSTRUCTION OF PUBLIC MEANS OF ESCAPE TO BE AN OFFENCE
*****
THE FIRE SERVICES (AMENDMENT) NO. 3 BILL WHICH AIMS AT OUTLAWING THE PRACTICE OF CAUSING OBSTRUCTIONS TO PUBLIC MEANS OF ESCAPE AND THE INDISCRIMINATE LOCKING OF FIRE EXITS IN BUILDINGS WAS GAZETTED TODAY (FRIDAY).
IF ENACTED INTO LAW, ANY PERSON CONVICTED OF A DIRECT OFFENCE WOULD BE LIABLE TO A MAXIMUM FINE OF $25 000 AND $5 000 PER DAY MAXIMUM FINE FOR CONTINUANCE.
A SECOND OR SUBSEQUENT OFFENCE WOULD ATTRACT A MAXIMUM OF $50 000 FINE AND ONE YEAR IMPRISONMENT.
THE BILL ALSO SEEKS TO TIGHTEN UP EXISTING LEGISLATION ON THE RECURRENCE OF FIRE HAZARD, WHICH INCREASES THE LIKELIHOOD OF FIRE AND THE DANGER TO LIFE AND PROPERTY.
EXPLAINING THE BILL TODAY, ACTING DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE FIRE SERVICES DEPARTMENT, MR LAM CHEK-YUEN, POINTED OUT THAT THESE MALPRACTICES WERE NOT SPECIFIED IN LAW AS AN OFFENCE AND THE MAIN OBJECT OF THE AMENDMENT WAS TO SPELL THEM OUT AS A DIRECT OFFENCE.
+AT PRESENT THE LAWS OF HONG KONG MAKE IT AN OFFENCE FOR OBSTRUCTION IN A PUBLIC PLACE — THAT IS, IN THE STREET OR ROADWAY. IT IS ALSO AN OFFENCE TO OBSTRUCT THE MEANS OF ESCAPE WITHIN A WORKPLACE. BY THIS I MEAN A FACTORY UNIT WITHIN AN INDUSTRIAL BUILDING, HE SAID.
+YET, THERE IS NO OFFENCE FOR OBSTRUCTING THE EMERGENCY ESCAPE ROUTE - CORRIDORS AND STAIRCASES WITHIN ANY BUILDING WHETHER COMMERCIAL, INDUSTRIAL OR DOMESTIC.
+THESE OBSTRUCTIONS ARE INFINITELY MORE DANGEROUS THAN CAUSING AN INCONVENIENCE IN A PUBLIC PLACE BUT THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN BE DEALT WITH IS BY A FIRE HAZARD ABATEMENT NOTICE (FHAN),+ MR LAM SAID.
UNDER PRESENT LEGISLATION, SUCH NOTICES WOULD BE ISSUED TO PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR IDENTIFIED FIRE HAZARDS, INCLUDING OBSTRUCTIONS TO MEANS OF ESCAPE AND LOCKING OF FIRE EXITS, ASKING THEM TO GET RID OF THE HAZARDS WITHIN A SPECIFIED TIME.
ONLY NON-COMPLIANCE ASCERTAINED BY SUBSEQUENT INSPECTIONS WOULD CONSTITUTE AN OFFENCE WHICH INCURRED A MAXIMUM FINE OF $25 000 AND A $2 500 MAXIMUM FINE PER DAY FOR CONTINUANCE.
/+A SIMILAR,
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.