Enhancement of fire safety measures in old-style composite buildings, domestic buildings and commercial buildings/premises required by the Fire Services Department

Introduction

In the 1990s, several tragic fires broke out in Hong Kong, resulting in severe fatalities and injuries. These included the fires that occurred at (i) the Shek Kip Mei branch of the Hongkong Bank on 10.1.1994; (ii) Mei Foo Sun Chuen on 8.4.1997; (iii) Golden Court, North Point on 6.1.1998; and (iv) On Hing House, Kwun Tong on 4.2.1998. In view of this, the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance (Cap.502) and the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap.572) were implemented in 1997 and 2007 respectively for enhancing fire safety of buildings.

The Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance

The Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance (Cap.502) was implemented on 2.5.1997. The purpose of the Ordinance is to provide better protection from the risk of fire for occupants and users of, and visitors to, certain kinds of commercial premises and commercial buildings. For the purpose of this Ordinance, the enforcement authorities are the Director of Fire Services and the Director of Buildings. The former is responsible for the provision of or improvement on fire service installations and equipment (FSI) in commercial premises or buildings, while the latter is responsible for the provision of fire safety measures in the planning, design and construction of such buildings. Please refer to the relevant pamphlet via the following link for key points of this Ordinance.
An Introduction to the Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance

The Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance

The Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap.572) was put into implementation on 1.7.2007. For the purpose of this Ordinance, the enforcement authorities are the Director of Fire Services and the Director of Buildings. The former is responsible for the provision of or improvement on fire service installations or equipment (FSI) in composite buildings and domestic buildings, while the latter is responsible for the provision of fire safety measures in the planning, design and construction of such buildings. The purpose of the Ordinance is to ensure better protection from the risk of fire for occupants and users of, and visitors to composite buildings and domestic buildings that fall within the following criteria by requiring the owners and/or occupiers concerned to implement fire protection measures up to modern standards through the issuance of Fire Safety Directions:

1. With its plans of the building works first submitted to the Building Authority for approval on or before 1 March 1987; or
2. Constructed on or before 1 March 1987 where no plans of the building works were submitted on or before that date to the Building Authority for approval.

Please refer to the relevant pamphlet via the following link for key points of this Ordinance.
An introduction to the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance

To facilitate better public understanding of this Department’s implementation of the fire safety requirements as stipulated in the said Ordinance, the Department has compiled a “Guidebook for the Compliance of Fire Safety Directions Issued by the Fire Services Department”, which lists out the FSI requirements for buildings of different heights, potential problems encountered by owners, cases of compliance through the flexible and pragmatic approaches adopted by the Department and the introduction of the Integrated Building Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme. Please visit the following link for details.
Guidebook for the Compliance of Fire Safety Directions

We understand that owing to structural or spatial constraints for certain buildings, some building owners may encounter difficulties in complying with the requirement, including the installation of water tank for the fire hydrant/hose reel system.  For the purpose of facilitating building owners to comply with Fire Safety Directions, the Department had provided different relaxation measures to buildings of different height as following:
 
Phase I: Improvised Hose Reel System (direct-feed type) for target composite buildings of 3-storeys of below.
FSD Circular Letter No. 2/2016

Phase II: Revised Supply Tank Requirement for Hose Reel System, allowing target buildings of six storeys or below or less than 20 metres in height, to reduce the effective supply tank capacity of the hose reel system from 2000L to 500L - 1500L.
FSD Circular Letter No. 5/2016 

Phase III Part I: Reduced supply tank capacity requirement for fire hydrant/hose reel system.  Target buildings of seven storeys or above are only required to provide a fire service supply tank of 4,500L. 
Phase III Part II: Pilot scheme on the incorporation of the fresh water supply system into the fire hydrant/hose reel system.
FSD Circular Letter No. 3/2017 

Part I: Incorporation of the Fresh Water Supply System into the Fire Hydrant/Hose Reel System
Part II: Improvised Hose Reel System (Direct Pumping Design) and Improvised Fire Hydrant/Hose Reel System (Direct Pumping Design)

FSD Circular Letter No. 4/2023

List of registered fire service installation contractors who have successfully completed fire safety improvement works

To further assist owners and/or occupiers in complying with the Directions, the FSD has published on the department's website the list of registered fire service installation contractors who have successfully assisted owners in completing relevant fire safety improvement works for the fire service installations and equipment of the entire building and have not been ordered to be removed from the registers of fire service installation contractors after inquiry by the Registered Fire Service Installation Contractors Disciplinary Board within the past five years. The list will be updated for public reference at regular intervals.

(www.hkfsd.gov.hk/eng/source/safety/List_RFSICs_Successful_Cap572_eng.pdf)
 

Supplementary Information

To facilitate owners and occupiers to obtain information of contractors qualified for carrying out fire safety improvement works, the Department has uploaded onto its website for public information all registered fire service installation contractors (RFSICs) in the territory, with a dedicated list of those RFSICs who have indicated their intention to undertake fire safety improvement works under the Ordinances. The Department has also compiled the “Checklist for Major Defects of FSI Drawings Submission under Cap. 502/Cap. 572” and “Processing of FSI Drawings under Cap. 502/Cap. 572” to assist owners in complying with Fire Safety Directions/Fire Safety Improvement Directions. Please visit the following links for details.

「“List of Registered Fire Service Installation Contractors Interested in Undertaking Fire Safety Improvement Works as Required by Law” 」
「 “Checklist for Major Defects of FSI Drawings Submission under Cap. 502/Cap. 572” 」
「“Processing of FSI Drawings under Cap. 502/Cap. 572” 」

「Fire safety in composite building」

「Fire safety in commercial premises」

For enquiries, please contact staff of the Fire Services Department at 2272 9112.

Introduction to the Fire Services Department Building Improvement Support Centre

Background

The Fire Safety (Commercial Premises) Ordinance (Cap. 502), the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 572), and the Fire Safety (Industrial Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 636) (hereafter collectively referred to as “Three Ordinances”) require the fire safety standards of, respectively, commercial, composite and domestic, and industrial buildings that were constructed or had their building plans first submitted to the Building Authority for approval on or before 1 March 1987 (hereafter referred to as “target buildings”), to be upgraded to the modern level. Under the Three Ordinances, the Director of Fire Services is the enforcement authority in relation to fire service installations and equipment, while the Director of Buildings is the enforcement authority in relation to the planning, design and construction of buildings. The Fire Services Department (FSD) and the Buildings Department issue directions regarding fire safety measures of target buildings to their owners and/or occupiers, in which the required fire safety improvement works are specified.

Purpose of Establishing the Building Improvement Support Centre (“BISC”)

The FSD has been actively providing support to owners of target buildings, particularly those of old composite and domestic buildings, on various fronts to assist them in completing the fire safety improvement works. To further assist these buildings in complying with the Three Ordinances, the FSD has established the BISC to provide them with one-stop support services. Starting from the receipt of directions under relevant legislations by owners and occupiers, the BISC provides them with information and assistance regarding coordination, technical support and financial assistance until the works are completed and the legislative requirements are met, with a view to providing convenience to the public in improving the overall fire safety standards of target buildings.

Service Target

Owners and occupiers of buildings regulated under the Three Ordinances.

Service Scope

Aforementioned individuals can consult the BISC on difficulties arising from the compliance with the Three Ordinances by phone or in person. The services offered by the BISC encompass the explanation of requirements under the relevant ordinances, introduction to existing government support services, facilitation of plan approval and arrangement of acceptance test, etc. The BISC also assists owners in applying for government subsidies and services under the Smart Tender scheme, and may refer cases to other departments or organisations for follow-up if necessary.

Address

3/F, Fire Services Department Mong Kok Office Building, 42 Tai Kok Tsui Road, Kowloon

Telephone Number

2272 9112

E-mail

fsdbisc@hkfsd.gov.hk

Service Hours

Monday to Saturday (except public holidays), 0900 to 2000 hours (without meal breaks)