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BD and FSD jointly inspect means of escape at old-style domestic and composite buildings
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     The Buildings Department (BD) and the Fire Services Department (FSD) today (April 8) launched a one-year joint operation to inspect the common means of escapes (MoEs) at about 6 500 old-style domestic and composite buildings. Appropriate follow-up action would then be taken against any irregularities which endanger the common MoEs at the buildings identified in the inspections. The target buildings of the joint operation are of the same type as those buildings affected by the No. 4 alarm fire involving fixed-pitch hawker stalls at Fa Yuen Street in 2011. All of these buildings are old-style domestic or composite buildings. Based on the inspection results as well as the information and evidence collected, the BD and the FSD would take appropriate enforcement action against the irregularities in accordance with the relevant ordinances, including instigation of prosecution against offenders.

     The departments conducted joint inspection at Tai Nam Street in Sham Shui Po today. A total of 10 composite buildings were inspected.

     A spokesman for the BD said that various irregularities were found in the buildings inspected. The irregularities included removal of the original fire-rated doors of the flat units, installation of metal gates that did not meet safety standards outside the flat units or the building entrances, and obstruction of MoEs by unauthorised building works (UBWs). The BD would follow up on all these cases in accordance with the Buildings Ordinance and the prevailing enforcement policy against UBWs.

     Meanwhile, a spokesman for the FSD said that various fire safety irregularities were detected in the buildings inspected. These included obstruction of escape routes due to refuse, discarded furniture or other obstacles; a locked door to a main roof; and fire service installations being defective, poorly maintained or not annually inspected by a Registered Fire Service Installation Contractor. The FSD has issued two Fire Hazard Abatement Notices to incorporated owners of the relevant buildings to address the fire hazards. The department will follow up on all these cases in accordance with the relevant Fire Service ordinances.

     After the fire incident involving hawker stalls in 2011, various departments introduced a number of measures to improve the management of fixed-pitch hawker areas. The BD and the FSD launched the large-scale joint operation on the enhancement of fire prevention and building safety as the common parts of old-style domestic and composite buildings, especially the common escape staircases, are more prone to the problems of poor management and maintenance, causing irregularities in fire-resisting construction and means of escape, and thereby adversely affecting the fire safety of the buildings.

     The operation aims to enhance the fire safety of the common MoEs in old-style domestic and composite buildings. The BD and the FSD will deploy staff to jointly inspect the common means of escape of all target buildings and the inspection is expected to be completed within one year. The two departments will then follow up with appropriate enforcement action against the irregularities which affect the common MoEs of these buildings. During this operation, the BD and the FSD will also distribute publicity leaflets to enhance awareness of fire safety among residents in such old-style buildings.

Ends/Monday, April 8, 2013
Issued at HKT 19:28

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