4.
Advertising signs must be kept safe
All signs attached to buildings should only be put in place under close supervision of building professionals and be properly maintained, Senior Structural Engineer of the Buildings Department, Mr Koon Chi-ming, said today (Wednesday).
The comment was made following a recent clearance operation undertaken by the department against dangerous and abandoned signs in Kowloon City.
In the operation, a total of 1,248 signs were inspected and 168 were found to be potentially dangerous.
Of the 168 signs, 34 were repairable and had been fixed by their owners following advice by the department.
"Out of the 134 signs which needed to be removed, 124 had been voluntarily removed by the owners. The remaining 10 signs were removed by the government's contractor and the costs incurred were subsequently recovered from the owners," said Mr Koon.
He reiterated that the department was very concerned about the safety of overhanging signs.
"Similar actions against dangerous signs are being carried out in other districts, including Kwun Tong, Wong Tai Sin, Kowloon Bay, Yau Ma Tei, Tai Po and Sheung Shui.
"To solicit assistance and co-operation from the area committees in the districts and the local residents through their respective District Boards, we have sent letters to the chairmen of the area committees inviting them to report to us of any suspected abandoned and dangerous signs," he said.
People wishing to put up overhanging signs should seek professional advice for safe design and installation, stressed Mr Koon.
"After installation, they should maintain their signs regularly to prevent them from becoming a potential danger or a nuisance to the public," he added.
End
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.