Some 500 participants, including building professionals, members of the building management sector, government officials and academics, attended the Building Safety Symposium 2017 today (March 24) to exchange views on building safety issues.

     Addressing the symposium, the Secretary for Development, Mr Eric Ma, said it is the Government's goal to ensure that the buildings in Hong Kong provide safe and comfortable environments for Hong Kong people to live and work in. He said this is a challenging task, particularly considering that by 2046, one in every two buildings in Hong Kong would be more than 50 years old.

     Noting that the Government introduces legislations, takes enforcement actions, educates the public and supports owners to take appropriate measures to ensure building safety, Mr Ma stressed that the Government counts on the support of professionals and the general public at large to achieve this objective.

     The Director of Buildings, Mr Cheung Tin-cheung, said the symposium aimed to establish a platform for the industry to discuss building safety-related issues, so as to raise the safety, hygiene and environment standards of buildings in Hong Kong, as well as to improve the quality of construction development projects in the city.

     A number of local and overseas experts were invited to deliver speeches and share experience on building safety topics at the symposium. The topics were as follows:
* Integrated Efforts on Building Rehabilitation in Hong Kong;
* Ensuring Safety of Existing Buildings Through Periodic Structural Inspection - Singapore's Experience;
* Modernization of Lifts and Escalators;
* New Ideas on Work Safety in Repair, Maintenance, Alterations and Additions Works;
* Water Seepage Investigation by the Joint Office set up by the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department and the Buildings Department;
* Enhancing the Performance of Existing Building of All Ages - BEAM Plus Existing Buildings; and
* New York City Facade Safety: Past, Present and Future.

     Apart from the speeches by renowned speakers, the symposium also featured a talk and two panel discussion sessions.

     The Building Safety Symposium 2017 was the finale of the seven-day Building Safety Week 2017. Over the past week, the Buildings Department held a series of activities to help members of the public better understand building safety messages and foster a building care culture. Programme highlights included public talks, the Building Information Centre Open Day, the Mandatory Building Inspection Scheme Briefing Session, the Mandatory Window Inspection Scheme Briefing Session and "Building Safety Pioneers TV Programme - The Visionary".

Ends/Friday, March 24, 2017
Issued at HKT 18:05

NNNN