Audit report reveals delays in fire safety inspections of industrial buildings

Report No. 85 of the Director of Audit, released on Wednesday, revealed that 24 percent of target industrial buildings (TIBs) have not been inspected by the Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Buildings Department (BD), while 27 percent of the buildings inspected issued fire safety directions after the deadline, with the compliance rate for safety directions concerning common areas being zero.

Starting from 2020, the FSD and the BD started inspecting TIBs and issuing fire safety directions depending on the situation. TIBs without any automatic sprinkler system or with a partial sprinkler system only were prioritized in the first phase.

The report showed that as of June 30 last year, 82 of the 345 TIBs are without any automatic sprinkler system or with a partial sprinkler system only — accounts for 24 percent — had not been inspected by FSD and BD.

It is also revealed that FSD and BD issued fire safety directions to owners and occupiers of 73 TIBs, accounting for 27 percent of 273 TIBs inspected, more than four months after the inspection.

Even for TBIs that were issued fire safety directions, the compliance rates were not ideal, the report said.

The compliance rate of fire safety directions and fire safety compliance orders for inside individual units was 86 percent, while the compliance rate for involving common parts was zero, according to the report.

According to BD’s Fire Safety Section Manual, warning letters should be issued for cases without a positive response or submission of the required test reports from the owners, upon expiry of the compliance period and not later than three months from the expiry of fire safety directions or any extended time limit.

However, 2,529 of 3,807 warning letters issued, accounting for 66 percent, did not meet the 3-month target. The delays ranged from 1 day to 1,239 days, averaging 137 days, the report found.

In addition, 150 cases that had not submitted test reports had not been issued warning letters.

The Audit Commission stated that the FSD needs to strengthen the timely issuance of fire safety directions, report the results of periodic inspections in a timely manner, and stipulate time limits for conducting periodic progress checks. Meanwhile, BD should regularly review the implementation schedule of inspection work based on the fire risks of the buildings.

Both the Directors of FSD and BD said that they generally agree with the Audit Commission's suggestions and expressed their appreciation.

 

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