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Joint efforts to ensure gas safety
The Government and the gas industry have worked together effectively to ensure the safe supply and use of gas in Hong Kong and this successful partnership has its origins in three aspects of Government policy, the Acting Secretary for Economic Services, Mr Leo Kwan, said today (Friday).
Speaking at the opening of a symposium on risk and safety management in gas industry, Mr Kwan noted first of all the long-standing policy of relying on the private sector to assess the local market in supplying gas.
"This has encouraged substantial investments in the gas supply market by companies having a long-term commitment to Hong Kong and a responsible attitude towards risk and safety management," he said.
The second aspect was the Government's policy of encouraging the provision of piped gas supply to new domestic buildings.
"The policy was adopted in 1982 and since then the percentage of domestic buildings provided with piped gas supply has increased from about 30 per cent to nearly 70 per cent.
"In parallel, the safety of many thousands of gas water heaters has been improved through replacement and upgrading. These actions have undoubtedly made a major contribution to gas safety in Hong Kong," he said.
In addition, the Government has put in place comprehensive gas safety legislation to ensure public safety without being unduly involved in the business operations of gas supply companies, according to Mr Kwan.
"The Gas Safety Ordinance, which was introduced in 1991, controls, in the interests of safety, the importation, manufacture, storage, transport, supply and use of town gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), natural gas or any mixture of these.
"To further strengthen the ordinance, amendments were made last year to require the proper maintenance of gas installations by their owners and to deter damage to underground gas pipes by works contractors, who now have to follow a code of practice," he added.
Mr Kwan stressed the Government's commitment to improving gas safety in many other ways through proactive administrative measures.
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