Hong Kong fire report proposes criminal offence for substandard temporary fireproofing
A Hong Kong committee has recommended new criminal offences for using temporary protective materials that fail to meet fire safety standards, alongside systemic reforms to building inspection and fire systems.
A committee investigating a fire at Wang Fuk Court has proposed wide-ranging policy reforms, including a new criminal offence for using temporary protective materials that do not meet statutory fire safety standards. The report, released on 29 October, said evidence showed inspectors had relied on contractors' certificates before the fire, with serious shortcomings in on-site testing methods.
The committee recommended expanding the testing regime to include surprise inspections and independent verification of all laboratory certificates by government-designated, accredited labs. It also proposed that all temporary vertical enclosure materials be subject to the same stringent testing and certification standards as safety nets, and that on-site ignition tests be banned as evidence of compliance with fire performance standards.
On fire systems, the report recommended that although registered fire service contractors may apply for extensions to closure notices, cumulative closure of any major fire system be strictly limited to 60 days. Applications must state reasons and be reviewed by the Fire Services Department. It also proposed a new legislative offence to penalise registered fire service contractors who submit closure notices or sign related certificates without personally carrying out or directly supervising the work.
Regarding professional regulation, the report recommended legislation to prohibit registered inspectors from delegating supervision of key stages to less experienced representatives, and to require them to personally perform statutory site supervision duties. It also suggested requiring registered inspectors to submit supervision records to the Buildings Department or an independent review panel at regular intervals.
Under proposed amendments to the Buildings Ordinance, the committee recommended introducing a direct criminal offence to punish registered building professionals or contractors who use, or approve the use of, temporary protective materials that fail to meet statutory fire safety standards. The committee also advised that the independent review panel and the Buildings Department should cease all advance bookings or contact notifications for material safety reviews and complaint investigations.
Further recommendations included setting minimum numbers of on-site inspections for the Buildings Department and the independent review panel, and establishing clear internal guidelines requiring mandatory on-site inspections for a "substantial and material proportion" of all building maintenance works involving external scaffolding.