ENG-1997 — Page 273

LAND, PUBLIC WORKS AND UTILITIES

In all, 2 840 buildings in the 1946-58 age group were inspected and 570 investigation or repair orders were served under the inspection programme to implement recommendations in the consultancy study on buildings in this age group. The department also inspected 666 cantilevered slab canopies, resulting in the issue of 32 investigation orders.

The department received 249 calls under the 24-hour service for emergencies, and 97.2 per cent of the cases were attended to within three hours. In addition, 3 722 reports on potential dangerous building elements were received. Sixteen per cent of the emergency calls and other reports concerned danger from external elements of buildings including projections, appendages, advertising signs and loose finishes. The remaining cases related mainly to water seepage, dangerous scaffolding, dangerous slopes and damage by fire.

To ensure that private buildings in Hong Kong continue to meet standards of safety and health after they have been certified for occupation, the government has been exercising pragmatic control over unauthorised building works (UBW). The growth of UBW has now been generally contained as all significant new UBW are subjected to immediate enforcement action. To help identify new UBW, the department has been taking aerial photographs on rooftop structures twice a year. Record photographs are also taken on buildings. On the public safety front, the department has been removing all identified dangerous or UBW as a matter of priority. In 1997, a task force was set up to remove all dangerous or abandoned air conditioning water cooling towers in old industrial areas. As a result of the operations, 455 cooling towers and frameworks were removed in Kwun Tong, Kwai Tsing and Tsuen Wan.

Greater emphasis has also been placed on the health and environmental aspect of UBW. Unauthorised structures such as exhaust fans, ventilation ducts and the like which cause environmental and health nuisance to neighbours or the general public are subjected to immediate enforcement action.

In 1997, 12 427 reports of UBW were dealt with, resulting in the removal of 6 829 UBW. In all, 127 prosecution cases were instigated against offenders for erecting UBW or for not complying with removal orders. As a result, 77 convictions were secured with total fines of $2.04 million.

Lack of proper building maintenance causes building safety problems. The voluntary Building Safety Inspection Scheme, which serves to promote systematic inspection and preventive maintenance of buildings under 20 years of age, was launched in April 1997. The details of the proposed mandatory Building Safety Inspection Scheme, targeting at buildings over 20 years old, were announced in August 1997 for comments by the public. The department aimed to start implementing the essential measures of the scheme by mid-1998.

During 1997, 178 statutory orders were served on building owners, requiring slope upgrading works to be carried out. In addition, emergency action was taken by contractors in response to 38 reports on landslip incidents. To ensure proper maintenance and repair of buried water-carrying services, leakage from which might otherwise endanger slopes, 328 fill slopes were studied, resulting in the issue of 33 investigation/repair orders.

The government has since May 1997 been implementing the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance to upgrade fire safety measures in certain

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