In order to strengthen fire safety regulations over maintenance and repair works on existing building façades and to ensure overall building safety, the Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) announced in a statement yesterday that its interdepartmental coordination group has drafted relevant guidelines and gathered feedback from industry stakeholders.
According to the statement, the draft will be further refined by incorporating input from both the industry and the group to ensure that the guidelines are operational, practical, and widely accepted.
Secretary for Transport and Public Works Raymond Tam Wai Man gave the instruction that the fire safety guidelines for building façade repairs be finalised as quickly as possible to eliminate potential safety hazards at their root, the statement said.
The statement noted that the coordination group convened a meeting yesterday to discuss the refinement and implementation mechanism of the draft guidelines, namely “Guidelines on Fire Safety Precautions for External Wall Maintenance of Existing Buildings”.
Reflecting the consensus reached among the participating entities, the guidelines lay down clear standards for key supervisory aspects of maintenance work on existing building façades, including defining specifications for scaffolding safety netting, site smoking control rules, and pre-construction re-examinations of fire evacuation systems.
Tam instructed the coordination group to expedite the completion of the fire safety guidelines to ensure they align closely with real-world construction scenarios, highlighting that the provisions are clear and workable so both regulatory authorities and industry professionals can reference and enforce them seamlessly, thereby eliminating hazards at the source.
Tam also urged the relevant government entities to maintain continuous inter-agency collaboration, optimise joint inspection and supervision mechanisms, and engage in regular communication with the industry to jointly safeguard building maintenance safety, the statement said.
This undated handout photo provided by the Lands and Urban Construction Bureau (DSSCU) shows its interdepartmental coordination group convening a meeting yesterday to discuss the implementation mechanism of the draft “Guidelines on Fire Safety Precautions for External Wall Maintenance of Existing Buildings”.
