This will take years so it is imperative in the meantime to ensure that these densely populated old buildings, which house more than they are meant to, at least have fire doors, among other required fire safety measures.
The Buildings Department issued fire safety orders to the owners’ corporation of New Lucky House in 2008. Although the department followed up and sent advisory letters, the orders have not been complied with, 16 years later.The Fire Services Department last inspected the building on February 9 and found no fire hazard. But it must be noted that five prosecutions were filed against New Lucky House owners in the past decade. They include charges of obstructing escape routes and failing to maintain firefighting equipment and complete annual gear inspections.Out of the 347,715 orders issued after inspections of 10,761 buildings, only 36.9 per cent had been tackled by June last year. With no real power, warnings and orders will not make buildings safer.
03:18
Hong Kong fire kills 5, injures dozens in Kowloon commercial and residential building
Hong Kong fire kills 5, injures dozens in Kowloon commercial and residential building
In December last year, the government proposed to amend the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance to empower the relevant departments to make fire safety improvements to buildings that failed to comply with orders, and to charge owners for the work done. We should see little resistance from our lawmakers to get this through once the laws are drafted.We can impose tougher regulations and punishment but unless there is real enforcement, building owners will not take the safety orders seriously. Of course, the problems faced by old buildings, from the lack of owners’ corporations to uncooperative owners, complicate compliance. But that is no excuse for continuing to risk lives.
And it’s not just the older buildings that the authorities must fix. Owners of ultra-luxury homes, like those in Redhill Peninsula, have erected illegal structures that are public safety hazards. Fresh in our minds is the landslide caused not necessarily by record rainfall but by unauthorised building works. Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu has pledged to conduct inspections after unauthorised basements and swimming pools were unearthed.This National Security Education Day, may the government take the opportunity to make loud and clear its commitment to upholding the law indiscriminately, and emphasise that all residents must abide by the law. The clampdown on illegally parked vehicles has sent a strong message, for example.But whether it’s letting the ultra-wealthy do as they like with their homes regardless of the dangers posed or allowing owners of old buildings to delay compliance with safety orders, it’s the same mockery of the law, of regulation and enforcement. Surely, safety risks are part of social security under the country’s holistic approach to national security.
It’s time to get to work.
Alice Wu is a political consultant and a former associate director of the Asia Pacific Media Network at UCLA
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