XN000022-1991-03-18 — Page 12

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MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1991

HE PURPOSE,

FOR THE SAME

TEAM OF ADDED, A DEDICATED PROFESSIONAL AND TECHNICAL OFFICERS HAD RECENTLY BEEN FORMED TO SEEK OUT, ON A SYSTEMATIC BASIS, DANGER AND POTENTIAL DANGER FROM CANOPIES.

"IT DOES

NOT

MATTER

LEGAL WHETHER THESE CANOPIES ARE ILLEGAL. OUR JOB IS TO PREVENT CANOPY COLLAPSES AND PEOPLE SHOULD

BE PREPARED FOR THE LOSS OF A CANOPY IF IT IS FOUND BY US TO DANGEROUS CONDITION," MR CHENG SAID.

HE ALSO URGED MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO REPORT TO THE ORDINANCE OFFICE ANY CANOPY WHICH THEY FELT WAS UNSAFE.

OR

BE

IN A

BUILDINGS

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PASSENGER SHIPS MUST FULFIL SAFETY RULES

*

PASSENGER SHIPS OPERATING EXCURSION VOYAGES FROM HONG KONG WITHOUT CALLING ON ANY OTHER PORT DURING SUCH VOYAGES MUST COMPLY WITH ALL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE HONG KONG MERCHANT SHIPPING (SAFETY) ORDINANCE AS IF THEY WERE HONG KONG REGISTERED PASSENGER SHIPS, A MARINE DEPARTMENT SPOKESMAN SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

RESPONDING TO PRESS ENQUIRIES, THE SPOKESMAN EXPLAINED THAT THIS MEANT THAT OPERATORS OF SUCH SHIPS MUST SUBMIT THEIR VESSELS TO A FULL SAFETY SURVEY BY MARINE DEPARTMENT SURVEYORS.

"SUCH SHIPS WILL ALSO NEED TO BE STAFFED BY CREWS HOLDING CERTIFICATES OF COMPETENCY ISSUED BY, OR ACCEPTABLE TO THE DIRECTOR OF MARINE, HE ADDED.

OPERATORS HAVE BEEN INFORMED AND BEEN GIVEN SIX WEEKS FROM MARCH 4 THIS (1991) YEAR TO COMPLY WITH THE REQUIREMENTS.

THE MARINE ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE COUNTRIES IN WHICH THESE SHIPS ARE REGISTERED HAVE ALSO BEEN NOTIFIED OF THE REQUIREMENTS.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID THE MARINE DEPARTMENT HAD BEEN CONCERNED FOR SOME TIME WITH THE VALIDITY OF THE PASSENGER SAFETY CERTIFICATES OF PASSENGER SHIPS WHICH OPERATE OUT OF HONG KONG AND DO NOT CALL AT ANY PORT OUTSIDE HONG KONG.

"THE DEPARTMENT'S MAIN CONCERN IS THE SAFETY OF PASSENGERS WHO GO ON SUCH EXCURSIONS, THE MAJORITY OF WHOM ARE HONG KONG RESIDENTS,' THE SPOKESMAN SAID.

HE SAID THAT ALTHOUGH THE DEPARTMENT'S SURVEYORS HAD MADE UNSCHEDULED INSPECTIONS ON SUCH SHIPS IN ACCORDANCE WITH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS, THEY HAD BEEN UNABLE TO CONDUCT INDEPTH EXAMINATIONS OF THESE SHIPS TO ENSURE THAT SAFETY STANDARDS APPLICABLE TO HONG KONG PASSENGER SHIPS WERE BEING MET.

THE SPOKESMAN SAID IT HAD RECENTLY BEEN CONFIRMED THAT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS WHICH OBLIGATED THE DEPARTMENT TO ACCEPT THE PASSENGER SAFETY CERTIFICATES OF SUCH PASSENGER SHIPS ON INTERNATIONAL VOYAGES WERE NOT APPLICABLE TO THE TYPE OF EXCURSION VOYAGES CONDUCTED BY THESE SHIPS.

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