TNAG-1734-FCO40-2447-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 213

6

SUPPLEMENTARY to QUESTION NO. 8

in LEGGO MEETING on 29.6.88

MR.CHUNG:

Sir, it is quite obvious to public eyes that many

such fixtures are projected out of the outer walls and also

beyond the building line. This may constitute a potential

danger, because I am informed that some water cooler tanks

more than 1,400 kilograms.

may

weigh

Could the

Secretary inform this Council why no regular inspections are

carried out to ensure compliance with sections 26 and 31 of

the Buildings Ordinance?

SECRETARY FOR LANDS AND WORKS: Sir, on the question of

inspections, it has to be acknowledged that

room coolers

alone

mention industrial plant.

number tens of thousands, not to

I think it is fairly clear

that in order to carry out routine inspections on all such

it

installations, would require an army of inspectors.

I think

in view of the relatively few incidents that we do have with

failures,

the

benefits

of

carrying out disproportionate

routine inspections would be quite improportionate

ortionate to the cost.

The approach that is taken by the Administration is that this

should really be a self-regulating situation where the owner

of the plant is responsible for its maintenance and upkeep.

It is for this reason that the Summary Offences Ordinance makes

it specifically an offence for anything to fall from a building

and of course, this would include plant of the type described.