No remedial steps can undo the loss of 160 lives and the damage caused by the Tai Po fire, but emergency safety measures must be taken pending a more fundamental shake-up of the building and fire safety regime. On Thursday, the authorities
imposed new rules mandating testing and certification of fire-retardant scaffolding nets for all construction work. On Friday, an independent review committee
was established to examine the cause of the blaze and to revamp what Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu described as a wide range of complex issues in the industry.
Announcing the appointment of Justice David Lok Kai-hong to head the nine-month probe, the Hong Kong leader said the committee would be granted special legal powers to tackle specific issues if needed. The body may also set up expert panels and issue interim reports. This came a day after the government
imposed new rules requiring proof from contractors that scaffolding nets are fire retardant. The mesh can only be installed upon satisfactory sample tests by designated laboratories, while the authorities will conduct spot checks.
The need for more stringent standards and enforcement has become evident as the Tai Po blaze is believed to have begun on scaffolding mesh and spread rapidly through foam boards used as window shields during the HK$330 million (US$42.4 million) renovation of Wang Fuk Court. Subsequent sample tests suggested contractors had allegedly mixed substandard substitutes with fire-retardant nets to get around inspections. Investigations
have widened following reports of more projects allegedly using scaffolding nets with fake safety certificates.
Overdue as they are, the new rules are an essential step to plug what seems to be a long-overlooked but common problem in the industry. Officials stopped short of elaborating on the exact punishment for violating the new legally binding rules, but they stressed action could be taken under the existing laws.
The new system is the first of many steps needed to enhance fire safety. The city’s deadliest blaze in decades has exposed what seems to be a culture of non-compliance and slack supervision at multiple levels of the industry and among the authorities. Even though officials said it would be impractical to expect all construction material to come under the same stringent testing and certification requirements, it is high time the key components of the building and fire safety system were overhauled instead of employing quick fixes.
It is important that the committee discharges its duties with efficiency and accountability. From government and industry culture to common malpractices and system failures, a thorough overhaul is needed.
