Girl's death prompts plea for flexibility on window grilles
Property managers urged to let residents choose grilles that suit their own needs
The tragic case of a four-year-old girl who plunged to her death after slipping through a window grille at her family's Yuen Long flat has prompted calls for residents to be allowed flexibility in choosing window grilles to suit their needs.
The calls came after the property management company at Yoho Midtown, where Sunday's tragedy took place, admitted telling residents to use a standard grille, which had gaps as wide as 12.7cm. Kai Shing Management Services, a subsidiary of developer Sun Hung Kai Properties, said the decision was made to improve the appearance of the building.
Media reports said the child, who has not been named, climbed onto the platform of a bay window in the 12th-storey flat before slipping through the window itself. The window was more than 1.1 metres above the ground, meaning it was not covered by a rule requiring grilles with gaps of no more than four inches.
The company did not reply yesterday when asked if it had changed its stance. But resident Wong Wai-shun said the owner's corporation had asked the company to clarify whether the standard grille was compulsory, or simply recommended.
"We are very concerned," Wong said. "Most windows in our flats are bay windows, which have become a trap, as children climb onto the platform below the window."
Vincent Ho Kui-yip, chairman of the Institute of Surveyors' building surveying division, said one accident did not justify tighter rules, but "management companies should act professionally to allow residents to choose what suits them best".
