TNAG-1361-FCO40-1807-Hong-Kong-Hansard-reports-and-minutes-of-the-meetings-of-the-1985 — Page 228

Question No. 5

Reply by Hon. D.P.H. Liao, CBE, JP, Secretary for Housing to a question by

Hon. Mrs. Pauline NG CHOW May-lin, in Legislative Council on 6 February 1985

QUESTION: Can Government inform this Council :

(a) the number of reported accidents involving laundry-poles in public housing estates in the last two years; and

(b) whether Government considers the present

clothes-drying facilities provided to estate tenants i.e. laundry-poles inserted into short metal tubes, safe and desirable?

Sir,

During the last two years, there were three reported

accidents involving laundry-poles in public housing estates

among a total of 500,000 flats. These involved two cases of

slight injuries because of falling objects and one fatal case

where an old lady slipped and fell off the balcony while

standing on a high stool. It is reported that she was

manoeuvring her laundry-pole at the time.

From the very small number of accidents reported, I

would suggest that the laundry-poles drying system is reasonably

safe. The present facilities are much favoured by occupants of

small flats where ready drying facilities are inevitably very

limited. They offer minimum inconvenience to users and

neighbours and meet the tenants' desire to air their clothes in

the sunlight, and so remain popular. Drying racks suspended

from the ceiling of the balcony are also provided in estates but

the traditional method of a pole in the sunlight is preferred.

Nevertheless, the Authority is continuing to look for

improvements and indeed on a number of new estates, new methods

for drying are being tried out.

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