Some 450 participants including building professionals, members of the building management sector, government officials and academics, attended the Building Safety Symposium 2018 today (April 20) to exchange views on building safety issues.

     At the symposium, the Secretary for Development, Mr Michael Wong, said that with the co-operation of the industry, the Government has introduced a number of policy measures in recent years, so as to raise the awareness of property owners on building maintenance. The Buildings Department has implemented the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme and Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme since 2012, which tackles problems on building safety and maintenance at root by upholding the concept of "prevention is better than cure".

     Noting that the Chief Executive announced in her Policy Address last year to launch Operation Building Bright 2.0, which offers technical and financial assistance to property owners, Mr Wong stressed that the Government will continue to partner with various organisations to help owners maintain their properties.

     The Director of Buildings, Mr Cheung Tin-cheung, in his welcoming speech, said the symposium, as an important networking gathering of the industry, aimed to establish a platform for the industry to share experience and exchange views, so as to promote building safety work in Hong Kong.

     A number of local and overseas experts from Macao, the United States, the United Kingdom and Japan were invited to give speeches and share their experience on building safety topics at the symposium. The topics were as follows:
 

• Fostering Public Awareness of Building Safety;
• Cost-effective Maintenance for Aging Buildings;
• Experience Sharing on Investigating Water Seepage Cases in Macao;
• Innovative Solutions to Aged Reinforced Concrete Buildings;
• Revitalisation and Realisation: Hong Kong Buildings Ordinance and Case Studies;
• The Role of Building Information Management in Building Maintenance; and
• Efforts for Increasing Building Safety in Japan.

     Apart from the speeches by renowned speakers, the symposium also featured two panel discussion sessions.

     The Building Safety Symposium 2018 was the finale of the six-day Building Safety Week 2018. Over the past few days, the Buildings Department staged a series of activities to help members of the public better understand building safety messages and foster a building care culture. Programme highlights included public talks, Building Information Centre Open Day, the Registered Inspectors Briefing Session and the "Home Safe Home‧Home Sweet Home" Comic Drawing Competition winning entries roving exhibition held in Kowloon Park.

Ends/Friday, April 20, 2018
Issued at HKT 18:20

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