Fire Engineer Sam Fan updates Sai Kungers on the latest fire safety regulations for five-storey buildings in the town centre

^{The recent fire on 22 July 2025 at Man Nin Square, Sai Kung (above the SPCA Adoption Centre)}

In the light of the Tai Po fire tragedy I would like to revisit the potential problems associated with the buildings in the centre of Sai Kung. Further to my previous articles on fire safety of the 5-storey composite building in Sai Kung Town, the Fire Services Department and the Buildings Department recently issued (before the Tai Po incident) their Fire Safety Directions. Below are the requirements:

• Provide one-hour fire-resistant enclosures to non-emergency services such as electric cables and meters.
• Provide fixed lights having a fire resisting period of not less than half an hour to the escape staircase.
• Modify or replace the locking device on the door at the exit in the escape staircase on R/F, which is always openable.
• Replace the door and frame of the electric meter room on G/F with a 2-hour fire-resistant, self-closing one, and the swing of the door should not obstruct the exit route.
• Remove a metal gate in the escape staircase on G/F.
• A hose reel system with a fire service tank and the associated fire alarm system should be installed.

The full versions of these fire safety directions are available at the G/F of these buildings as hard copies. The public can search for the statuses of fire safety directions by entering the address or the reference number on the following websites of the Buildings Department and Fire Service Department:

https://www.bd.gov.hk/en/resources/online-tools/search/index.html

https://fsdns.hkfsd.gov.hk/en/search

How should an owners’ corporation cope with a lack of engineering knowledge?

When an owners’ corporation lacks an engineering background, it is challenging to detect contractor misconduct. Senior civil engineer Ngai Hok-yan disagrees with this view, stating that major repair projects do not demand a high level of engineering expertise from contractors. With the abundance of online information nowadays and the fact that some owners will always have relevant knowledge and experience, owners should not rely entirely on contractors and consultants for supervision. Instead, consultants should assist the corporation in monitoring the works, as owners can oversee major repair projects.

Source: Wang Fuk Court Fire Follow-up | Engineer analyses collapse of letter and document system – disaster inevitable? | HK01
https://www.hk01.com/article/60302307?utm_source=01articlecopy&utm_medium=referral 

Sam Fan’s technical publications and his previous articles on fire safety in Sai Kung Town are available on his website: https://samkwfan.wixsite.com/samkwfan.