5.03 The Public Works Department/Authorized Architects Liaison Group, which includes representatives from the Hong Kong Society of Architects and the Engineering Society of Hong Kong, provides a useful bridge for communication between Government and authorized architects and engineers in private practice. The Group met four times during the year to exchange views on various topics of mutual interest and to receive the findings of the Group sub-committee, which met on six occasions to study a number of proposed amendments to the Buildings Ordinance.
5.04 Arising from its responsibility for dealing with dangerous buildings, the Office maintains two separate but related organizations to deal with emergencies resulting from fires, typhoons, rainstorms and other causes. The first of these organizations contains qualified staff available on a 24-hour basis to give advice to the Police when an emergency affecting privately owned buildings occurs anywhere in the Colony; the majority of these staff were called out at least once during the year after office hours to deal with matters ranging from a fallen rainwater pipe to a building collapse. The second organization, which provides a nucleus of staff on a shift basis to attend to reports of damage, was actuated on three occasions when typhoons affected the Colony. Typhoon Rose, which occurred in August 1971, was without doubt the most severe the Colony has experienced for many years and it is therefore gratifying to note that the damage to private buildings was less than generally expected and the human casualty rate on land was very low.
HEAD OFFICE
5.05 This office is headed by the Principal Government Building Surveyor and is mainly concerned with matters of policy, law revision and the administration of the four divisions. The post of Technical Secretary was created in November in response to the need which had been felt for a considerable time for an officer to carry out general research and the review of office procedures.
5.06 The construction world is one of continuing change where new building techniques and systems are constantly being introduced, and designs become increasingly complicated both structurally and in the building services provided. The Building Authority, often in conjunction with other interested Government Departments, has a duty to evaluate these innovations and take appropriate steps to safeguard the lives and
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5.03 The Public Works Department/Authorized Architects Liai- son Group, which includes representatives from the Hong Kong Society of Architects and the Engineering Society of Hong Kong, provides a useful bridge for communication between Government and authorized architects and engineers in private practice. The Group met four times during the year to exchange views on various topics of mutual interest and to receive the findings of the Group sub-committee, which met on six occasions to study a number of proposed amendments to the Buildings Ordinance.
5.04 Arising from its responsibility for dealing with dangerous build- ings, the Office maintains two separate but related organizations to deal with emergencies resulting from fires, typhoons, rainstorms and other causes. The first of these organizations contains qualified staff available on a 24-hour basis to give advice to the Police when an emergency affecting privately owned buildings occurs anywhere in the Colony; the majority of these staff were called out at least once during the year after office hours to deal with matters ranging from a fallen rainwater pipe to a building collapse. The second organization, which provides a nucleus of staff on a shift basis to attend to reports of damage, was actuated on three occasions when typhoons affected the Colony. Typhoon Rose, which occurred in August 1971, was without doubt the most severe the Colony has experienced for many years and it is therefore gratifying to note that the damage to private buildings was less than generally expected and the human casualty rate on land was very low.
HEAD OFFICE
5.05 This office is headed by the Principal Government Building Surveyor and is mainly concerned with matters of policy, law revision and the administration of the four divisions. The post of Technical Secretary was created in November in response to the need which had been felt for a considerable time for an officer to carry out general research and the review of office procedures.
5.06 The construction world is one of continuing change where new building techniques and systems are constantly being introduced, and designs become increasingly complicated both structurally and in the building services provided. The Building Authority, often in conjunction with other interested Government Departments, has a duty to evaluate these innovations and take appropriate steps to safeguard the lives and
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