<p>香港當局已啓動公眾諮詢，計劃對消防安全法規進行全面改革，此舉是在該市數十年來最致命的火災發生六個月後提出的，建議擴大消防員的執法權力，並對管理公司和承包商施加額外責任。安全局和消防處於週二開始為期一個月的諮詢活動，討論對《消防服務條例》和相關附屬立法的修訂建議。提案涵蓋六個主要領域，從消防安全系統檢查到對火災隱患的新處罰。“我們的立法提案涵蓋六個支柱，旨在實現增強公共安全、監管一致性、執法有效性和問責制，” 諮詢文件中表示。這些廣泛的變更是政府對去年 11 月 26 日王福苑大火的回應，該火災持續了 43 小時，摧毀了大埔住宅區八棟住宅中的七棟，造成 168 人遇難，約 5000 名居民流離失所。對該災難的獨立聽證會揭示了多個政府部門在監管火災隱患和監督當時的住宅區翻新項目方面存在廣泛的漏洞。提議的法律修訂旨在加強對消防安全設備檢查的監督，加重處罰，擴大可被追究火災隱患責任的利益相關者範圍，並增強部門的執法權力。提議的變更還將收緊對註冊消防設施安裝承包商的監管，這些承包商被授權進行消防安全設備的檢查和維修，以及從技術人員到承包公司所有者的行業專業人士。還提議對未能遵守部門在紀律調查中提出的信息、文件或回答請求，或提供虛假或誤導性信息的行為設立新罪。這與擴展部門發出書面通知以要求承包商、其董事或合夥人以及註冊技術人員提供信息、文件和回答的權力的提案相一致。有關當局表示，部門的紀律委員會目前權力有限，因為它只能對承包商進行譴責或將其從註冊中移除，而無法施加個人責任。其他提議的變更包括為消防設施的重大停用引入預先批准機制。目前，註冊承包商必須在關閉設備後 24 小時內通知部門。根據提案，他們在進行維修或其他工作之前，必須獲得事先批准。關閉消防設施，包括水帶卷盤和火警系統，在晚上 11 點到早上 7 點之間超過四小時的，需由建築物的所有者或居住者，或管理或控制系統的人員（如物業管理人員）向部門申請批准。持續的停用從白天延續到深夜的情況也需要相同的批准，除非在迫在眉睫的危險或緊急情況下。註冊承包商還必須在發現缺陷後 24 小時內通知部門，接到報告後，官員將在同一時間框架內派遣人員檢查現場。有關當局還提議增強建築管理公司在消防安全合規方面的角色。建議建立 “責任人” 制度，由業主或居住者，或管理或控制建築物的人員指定一人，承擔某些法定職責。這些職責包括至少每六個月安排一次消防設施的檢查，並實施額外措施，例如在主要設備關閉時張貼通知，並在建築物內顯著位置展示有效的檢查證書。諮詢文件還提議對六項涉及易於核實的火災隱患和明確責任的違法行為設定固定罰款，例如鎖住逃生通道罰款 6000 港元，妨礙逃生通道罰款 1500 港元。此外，文件還提議加強對非法加油活動的控制，擴大消防員的執法權力，並首次對買方施加刑事責任，最高罰款為 100 萬港元和一年監禁。銷售非法燃料的最高罰款將從目前的 10 萬港元和六個月監禁提高到 300 萬港元和三年監禁。立法會安全小組副主席陳學峯表示，修訂總體上回應了立法者加強消防安全監管的要求。然而，陳對一旦引入重大消防設施停用的預先批准機制後，部門的人力資源需求表示擔憂。他表示，可能需要更多人員進行現場檢查和文書工作。陳還補充説，數字化和人工智能工具可以幫助加快文書工作審批，減輕人力壓力。公眾可以在 6 月 25 日之前向部門提交對提議修訂的意見。</p>

<p>香港已啓動公眾諮詢，以改革消防安全法律，此次改革是在一起導致 168 人遇難的火災後進行的。提議的變更包括擴大消防員的執法權、對管理公司施加新責任以及引入對火災隱患的處罰。此次諮詢旨在增強公眾安全和問責制，重點是改善檢查和合規性。公眾反饋截止日期為 6 月 25 日</p>

<p>Hong Kong authorities have launched a public consultation on overhauling fire safety regulations, six months after the city’s deadliest inferno in decades, proposing to expand firefighters’ law enforcement powers and impose additional responsibilities on management firms and contractors. The Security Bureau and the Fire Services Department on Tuesday began a one-month consultation exercise on proposed amendments to the Fire Services Ordinance and related subsidiary legislation. The proposals cover six major areas, ranging from fire safety system checks to new penalties for fire hazards. “Our legislative proposals encompass six pillars and seek to achieve enhanced public safety, regulatory coherence, enforcement effectiveness and accountability,” the consultation paper said. The sweeping changes form part of the government’s response to the devastating Wang Fuk Court blaze on November 26 last year. The 43-hour fire, which ravaged seven of the eight residential buildings in the Tai Po housing estate, killed 168 people and displaced about 5,000 residents. Ongoing independent hearings into the disaster have revealed widespread loopholes across multiple government departments in regulating fire hazards and supervising the estate’s renovation project at the time. The proposed legal amendments aim to strengthen oversight of fire safety equipment inspections, toughen penalties, expand the scope of stakeholders who can be held accountable for fire hazards, and enhance the department’s law enforcement powers. The proposed changes would also tighten regulation of registered fire service installation contractors, who are authorised to carry out inspections and repairs of fire safety equipment, as well as professionals in the sector, from technicians to contracting firm owners. A new offence is proposed for failing to comply with departmental requests for information, documents or answers in a disciplinary investigation, or for providing false or misleading information. This aligns with a proposal to extend the department’s powers to issue written notices to demand information, documents and answers for disciplinary investigations into contractors, their directors or partners, and registered technicians. Authorities said the department’s disciplinary board currently had limited powers, as it could only reprimand contractors or remove them from the register with no means of imposing individual responsibility. Other proposed changes include introducing a pre-approval mechanism for major shutdowns of fire service installations. Currently, registered contractors must notify the department within 24 hours after shutting down equipment. Under the proposals, they would be required to obtain prior approval before turning off systems for repairs or other works. Shutting down fire service installations, including hosepipe reel and fire alarm systems, for more than four hours between 11pm and 7am would require a request for departmental approval from the owner or occupier of the building, or those who manage or control the systems, such as property management staff. Continuous shutdowns extending from daytime into late-night hours would also require the same approval, except in cases of imminent danger or urgent circumstances. Registered contractors would also have to notify the department within 24 hours of discovering a defect, with officers dispatched to inspect the site within the same time frame after receiving a report. Authorities have also proposed enhancing the role of building management companies in fire safety compliance. A “responsible persons” system has been suggested, under which a person designated by the owner or occupier, or by those managing or controlling the building, would have certain statutory duties. These duties include arranging inspections of fire service installations at least once every six months and implementing additional measures, such as posting notices when major equipment is shut down, and displaying valid inspection certificates in a prominent location within the building. The consultation paper also proposes fixed penalties for six offences involving easily verifiable fire hazards and clear-cut liability, such as a HK$6,000 fine for locking a means of escape and HK$1,500 for obstructing such a route. Separately, the paper also proposed toughening controls on illegal fuelling activities, expanding the enforcement powers of fire officers and, for the first time, imposing criminal liability on buyers with a maximum fine of HK$1 million and a one-year jail term. The maximum penalty for selling illicit fuel would be raised from the current HK$100,000 fine and six months’ jail to HK$3 million and three years’ imprisonment. Chan Hok-fung, deputy chairman of the legislature’s security panel, said the amendments generally addressed lawmakers’ demands to strengthen fire safety surveillance. However, Chan expressed concern over the department’s manpower requirements once the pre-approval mechanism for major fire safety installation shutdowns was introduced. He said more personnel might be needed for site inspections and paperwork. Chan added that digitalisation and AI tools could help speed up paperwork endorsements and ease manpower pressures. Members of the public can submit their views on the proposed amendments to the department until June 25.</p>
<div class="lb-trans"><p>香港當局已啓動公眾諮詢，計劃對消防安全法規進行全面改革，此舉是在該市數十年來最致命的火災發生六個月後提出的，建議擴大消防員的執法權力，並對管理公司和承包商施加額外責任。安全局和消防處於週二開始為期一個月的諮詢活動，討論對《消防服務條例》和相關附屬立法的修訂建議。提案涵蓋六個主要領域，從消防安全系統檢查到對火災隱患的新處罰。“我們的立法提案涵蓋六個支柱，旨在實現增強公共安全、監管一致性、執法有效性和問責制，” 諮詢文件中表示。這些廣泛的變更是政府對去年 11 月 26 日王福苑大火的回應，該火災持續了 43 小時，摧毀了大埔住宅區八棟住宅中的七棟，造成 168 人遇難，約 5000 名居民流離失所。對該災難的獨立聽證會揭示了多個政府部門在監管火災隱患和監督當時的住宅區翻新項目方面存在廣泛的漏洞。提議的法律修訂旨在加強對消防安全設備檢查的監督，加重處罰，擴大可被追究火災隱患責任的利益相關者範圍，並增強部門的執法權力。提議的變更還將收緊對註冊消防設施安裝承包商的監管，這些承包商被授權進行消防安全設備的檢查和維修，以及從技術人員到承包公司所有者的行業專業人士。還提議對未能遵守部門在紀律調查中提出的信息、文件或回答請求，或提供虛假或誤導性信息的行為設立新罪。這與擴展部門發出書面通知以要求承包商、其董事或合夥人以及註冊技術人員提供信息、文件和回答的權力的提案相一致。有關當局表示，部門的紀律委員會目前權力有限，因為它只能對承包商進行譴責或將其從註冊中移除，而無法施加個人責任。其他提議的變更包括為消防設施的重大停用引入預先批准機制。目前，註冊承包商必須在關閉設備後 24 小時內通知部門。根據提案，他們在進行維修或其他工作之前，必須獲得事先批准。關閉消防設施，包括水帶卷盤和火警系統，在晚上 11 點到早上 7 點之間超過四小時的，需由建築物的所有者或居住者，或管理或控制系統的人員（如物業管理人員）向部門申請批准。持續的停用從白天延續到深夜的情況也需要相同的批准，除非在迫在眉睫的危險或緊急情況下。註冊承包商還必須在發現缺陷後 24 小時內通知部門，接到報告後，官員將在同一時間框架內派遣人員檢查現場。有關當局還提議增強建築管理公司在消防安全合規方面的角色。建議建立 “責任人” 制度，由業主或居住者，或管理或控制建築物的人員指定一人，承擔某些法定職責。這些職責包括至少每六個月安排一次消防設施的檢查，並實施額外措施，例如在主要設備關閉時張貼通知，並在建築物內顯著位置展示有效的檢查證書。諮詢文件還提議對六項涉及易於核實的火災隱患和明確責任的違法行為設定固定罰款，例如鎖住逃生通道罰款 6000 港元，妨礙逃生通道罰款 1500 港元。此外，文件還提議加強對非法加油活動的控制，擴大消防員的執法權力，並首次對買方施加刑事責任，最高罰款為 100 萬港元和一年監禁。銷售非法燃料的最高罰款將從目前的 10 萬港元和六個月監禁提高到 300 萬港元和三年監禁。立法會安全小組副主席陳學峯表示，修訂總體上回應了立法者加強消防安全監管的要求。然而，陳對一旦引入重大消防設施停用的預先批准機制後，部門的人力資源需求表示擔憂。他表示，可能需要更多人員進行現場檢查和文書工作。陳還補充説，數字化和人工智能工具可以幫助加快文書工作審批，減輕人力壓力。公眾可以在 6 月 25 日之前向部門提交對提議修訂的意見。</p>
</div>

香港公佈消防安全法改革提案，開始徵求意見