In the wake of the deadly Tai Po fire that claimed at least 161 lives last November, the Hong Kong SAR government is planning to introduce sweeping legislative reforms, including making property management companies statutorily accountable, setting safety distances for buildings under renovation, and a universal smoking ban on construction sites.

Unveiling the proposals at the first session of the eighth Legislative Council on Wednesday, Chief Secretary for Administration Eric Chan Kwok-ki, who also chairs a government task force on investigation and regulation, said that the reforms seek to integrate the statutory duties of property managers directly into fire safety.

“This move is intended to clarify the chain of accountability and formally establish property management companies as legal gatekeepers for building fire safety,” he said.

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The government plans to establish safety distances for large-scale building maintenance projects and incorporate them into legislation.

Other major proposals include amending laws to make prior approval from the Fire Services Department (FSD) a legal requirement before disabling critical fire safety facilities. The existing law only requires only the FSD to be informed afterwards.

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Chan also announced that amendments to the Construction Sites (Safety) Regulations would be accelerated. The revised regulations will impose clear legal responsibilities on main contractors, subcontractors, and all personnel on-site. A strict smoking ban on all construction sites will be enforced under the new rules. The amendments are expected to be submitted to the Legislative Council for deliberation within weeks.

Contact the writer at: stacyshi@chinadailyhk.com