Hong Kong authorities start 2-month inspection operation on building fire safety
Fire Services Department begins checks on residential and mixed-use buildings planned at least 39 years ago to ensure safety equipment in place
Hong Kong authorities have launched a two-month operation to inspect fire safety equipment in residential and mixed-use buildings planned at least 39 years ago, as part of continuing efforts to strengthen oversight following the deadly Tai Po blaze.
The Fire Services Department said on Monday that it started ad hoc checks on inspection records and the condition of fire safety equipment in premises for which building plans were first submitted in 1987 or earlier.
“When choosing buildings to inspect, we will mainly pick those with records that show that they did not conduct their annual fire safety checks during the past 15 months as required by the law,” said Law Kin-san, the department’s divisional officer for policy.
The inspections form part of the department’s ongoing efforts to strengthen oversight after the Wang Fuk Court fire killed 168 people and displaced nearly 5,000 residents in November last year.
Law said around 1,500 buildings would be inspected in the latest operation, focusing on fire alarm and hose reel systems. In addition to premises that had missed annual checks, officers would target those that had reported damage or fire safety equipment shutdowns.
He said that fire safety equipment providers were required to notify authorities if any equipment had to be turned off for more than 24 hours or overnight due to damage, or to conduct other repair work.