XN000022-1988-07-06 — Page 31

WEDNESDAY, JULY 6, 1988

29

MRS FAN HAD REFERRED TO A RECENT INCIDENT COLLAPSED IN A SCHOOL DORMITORY, KILLING A STUDENT.

WHEN A WALL

BY THE BUILDINGS AND RECURRENCE OF

SHE ASKED WHETHER REGULAR INSPECTIONS WERE CARRIED OUT GOVERNMENT TO ENSURE THE STRUCTURAL SAFETY OF SCHOOL WHETHER THERE COULD BE IMPROVEMENTS TO PREVENT THE SUCH ACCIDENTS.

WERE CARRIED THESE WERE NOT

MR SAUNDERS SAID INSPECTIONS OF SCHOOL PREMISES OUT BY RELEVANT GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS, ALTHOUGH SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PURPOSES OF ENSURING STRUCTURAL SAFETY.

ON

HE SAID GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS INSPECTED ABOUT EVERY FIVE YEARS BY EITHER THE ARCHITECTURAL

WERE,

DEPARTMENT OR THE HOUSING DEPARTMENT, DEPENDING UPON PREMISES WERE WITHIN A HOUSING ESTATE OR NOT.

AVERAGE, SERVICES

WHETHER THE

MAINTENANCE

"THESE INSPECTIONS ARE PRIMARILY ΤΟ ASCERTAIN REQUIREMENT, FOR WHICH THE TWO DEPARTMENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE GOVERNMENT INSPECTORS DO ALSO CARRY OUT, AT THE SAME SUPERFICIAL EXAMINATION OF THE BUILDINGS FOR ANY STRUCTURAL DISTRESS," HE SAID.

BUT THE TIME, A TELL-TALE SIGNS OF

THAT,

"IN THE CASE OF PRIVATE SCHOOLS + THERE IS A REGULATION 15 OF THE EDUCATION REGULATIONS, 1971,

REQUIREMENT UNDER

SITUATED IN BUILDINGS WHICH, HAVING REGARD TO THE LOADINGS

FOR SCHOOLS THEY WERE DESIGNED, ARE NOT

FOR WHICH GENERALLY SUITABLE FOR USE AS PREMISES, SCHOOL SUPERVISORS MUST ARRANGE FOR THEIR

SCHOOL INSPECTED PERIODICALLY BY A QUALIFIED ARCHITECT.

BUILDINGS TO BE

"THE PURPOSE OF THESE INSPECTIONS IS ΤΟ ENSURE BUILDINGS ARE STRUCTURALLY SAFE, PARTICULARLY IN THE CASE BUILDINGS OR, FOR EXAMPLE, WHERE TIMBER JOISTS ARE USED FLOORING," HE SAID.

THAT THE OF OLDER

IN THE

THEMSELVES ΤΟ

PREMISES, THERE INSPECTIONS, AND ENSURE THAT

HE SAID FOR PRIVATE SCHOOLS IN PURPOSE-BUILT WAS NO REQUIREMENT UNDER THESE REGULATIONS FOR SUCH IT WAS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE SCHOOLS THE BUILDINGS WERE SAPE.

MR SAUNDERS SAID ALL SCHOOLS WERK REGULARLY INSPECTED DISTRICT EDUCATION OFFICERS FROM THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT.

BY

THAT, BEEN WOULD BE TAKE APPROPRIATE

HE HAD BEEN ADVISED BY THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION FOLLOWING THE INCIDENT TO WHICH MRS FAN REFERRED, IT HAD ARRANGED THAT, DURING THESE INSPECTIONS, THE OPPORTUNITY TAKEN TO REMIND SCHOOL AUTHORITIES THAT THEY SHOULD ACTION IF THEY NOTICED ANY SIGNS OF STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS.

IN GOVERNMENT AND AIDED SCHOOLS, THE SCHOOL AUTHORITIES REPORT TO THE DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION ANY STRUCTURAL DEFECTS WHICH THOUGHT MIGHT POSE A RISK, HE SAID,

WOULD THEY

/THE DIRECTOR