Property owner fined over $14,000 for failing to comply with fire safety direction
An owner was convicted and fined $14,175 at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts on July 23 for failing to comply with a fire safety direction issued under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (FS(B)O) (Cap. 572).
The Buildings Department (BD) issued a fire safety direction under section 5(2)(a)(ii) of the FS(B)O to the owner of a domestic flat in a 59-year-old composite building at Junction Road, Kowloon City, requiring the owner to comply with the fire safety construction requirements by providing a fire-rated door at the unit entrance which opens to the escape staircase.
Failing to comply with the statutory direction, the owner was prosecuted by the BD and was convicted and fined by the court.
"According to the FS(B)O, failing to comply with a statutory direction issued under the ordinance without reasonable excuse is a serious offence. The BD may instigate prosecution proceedings against the owner", a spokesman for the BD said today (August 12).
Pursuant to section 5(8) of the FS(B)O, any person who, without reasonable excuse, fails to comply with a statutory direction, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine at level 4 ($25,000 at present) and to a further fine of $2,500 for each day of non-compliance. Upon conviction, an application may also be made to the court for a Fire Safety Compliance Order against the owner under section 6(1) of the FS(B)O directing the owner to comply with the requirements of the direction.
Source: AI-generated images
Certificate presentation ceremony for Self-Certification Scheme for Application for Water Supply for Catering Business Trades held today
The Water Supplies Department (WSD) today (January 21) held a certificate presentation ceremony for the Self-Certification Scheme for Application for Water Supply for Catering Business Trades to commend about 30 licensed plumbers (LPs) for their track record of performance and to recognise them as the first batch of LPs eligible to participate in the Scheme. The Director of Water Supplies, Mr Roger Wong, presented certificates to the LPs attending the ceremony.
Mr Wong stated that the WSD continuously optimises the procedures for water supply applications and streamlines workflow to facilitate high-water-consumption industries (including the catering business), thereby creating a more business-friendly environment. The WSD launched the Scheme at the end of last year, allowing LPs with a track record of performance to self-certify the plumbing works for the catering businesses they are responsible for, further streamlining the water supply application process for those businesses. The Scheme has shifted from a one-size-fits-all regulatory approach targeting a minority of underperformers to one that encourages continuous excellence among participants, which helps improve the overall standard of the plumbing industry. Details and a list of LPs eligible to participate in the Scheme have been published on the WSD website.
Moreover, the WSD established the Digital Water Office in June last year, enhancing water supply operations and customer services through the development of digital infrastructure and smart technologies, providing better and more environmentally friendly water supply services. One of the initiatives includes the launch of an intelligent electronic service platform that assists plumbers in automatically generating plumbing diagrams for the catering business that meet the WSD's requirements, thereby expediting the related water supply application process. The electronic service platform is scheduled to be launched in the early second quarter.
In response to the Development Bureau's encouragement of a mindset that facilitates development and collaborative co-operation while streamlining workflows for related public services, the WSD will review the implementation and operation of the Scheme before considering expanding it to other categories of water supply applications.