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The Buildings Department will send out letters to all private residential households to remind them of the need to exercise care to prevent their windows from falling when carrying out household cleaning.
"With the approach of the Chinese New Year, many building owners and occupants may soon begin the year-end house cleaning before the festivity. The Buildings Department would, therefore, wish to remind the community of the need to ensure safety when cleaning their windows," the Director of Buildings, Mr Cheung Hau-wai said today (January 15).
Mr Cheung said that the letters would be sent out in the next few days to over 1.5 million private households to appeal to them to take note of the following:
* Clear the hinges, sliding shoes and tracks of dust, dirt and debris with brush and fresh water. Avoid using solvent, strong acid or alkali.
* Lubricate the movable parts of windows such as hinges and tracks, etc.
* Do not put pressure on window sashes, such as transferring the body weight onto the sashes when cleaning windows.
* Do not push or pull window sashes with excessive force.
"Besides exercising care while cleaning windows, owners and occupants should not hang any objects, including laundry, on window sashes that could overload the sash and damage the window hinges," Mr Cheung said, adding that members of the public may refer to "A Guide to Window Safety" on the Building Department's website (www.bd.gov.hk/english/documents/index_GWS.html) for more information on the maintenance, repair and installation of aluminium windows or make use of its 24-hour telephone hotline, 2626 1616.
"Building owners and occupants have a responsibility to maintain and use their windows properly to protect public safety. Owners and occupants may be held liable for any personal injuries or property losses resulting from falling windows," he said.
In addition, the Buildings Department has also written to property management companies to ask them to remind the owners and occupants of the buildings under their management of the need to ensure safety when cleaning their windows before the Chinese New Year.
Ends/Sunday, January 15, 2006
Issued at HKT 15:00
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