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Information related to the latest amendment to the "Fire Service (Installations and Equipment) Regulations"

Due to the latest amendment to the “Fire Service (Installations and Equipment) Regulations (Cap.95B)” (FS(IE)R) which came into effect on 1 November 2023, residents who have received fire extinguishers and fire blankets distributed to them earlier under this programme for installation in domestic premises are exempted from the statutory duty as an owner of such portable firefighting equipment to keep it in efficient working order at all times and to have it inspected by a Registered Fire Service Installation Contractor at least once every 12 months under the FS(IE)R, as such equipment is installed in domestic premises and it is not required by or pursuant to law to be installed in such premises.

For enquiries, please contact our staff at 2170 9632.

 

Background

In light of the risks laid bare by a number of residential fire incidents in recent years, there are opinions from the local communities that distributing home use portable firefighting equipment (such as fire extinguishers and fire blankets) to residents in need will help enhance home fire safety. The Government, taking into account such views and findings of a risk-based assessment, has proposed Yau Tsim Mong, Kowloon City and Sham Shui Po as pilot points for distributing fire extinguishers and fire blankets to qualified households of old buildings, given the fact that there are more “three-nil” buildings in these districts as compared to others. District Fire Safety Committees of these districts have joined in and arranged distribution of such equipment to the proposed target groups.

From the fire safety perspective, it is conducive to enhancing fire safety at home by having fire extinguishers and fire blankets available at domestic units. Nevertheless, having such equipment at home should not be taken as an alternative to the fire safety measures stipulated in the directions issued under the Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap.572), nor can it completely eliminate fire risk. In the long term, only by improving fire service installations and fire safety construction of old buildings, as well as raising public awareness of fire protection can the level of fire safety in buildings be elevated in a sustainable and effective way. This is also the Government’s policy objective.

 

 

 

 

Firefighting Equipment Suitable for Domestic Use

Fire extinguishers and/or fire blankets are designed to quickly contain incipient fires when it is safe to do so.

Fire extinguishers come in a wide variety of types, major ones include the carbon dioxide type, water type, dry powder type, clean agent type and foam type.  Dry powder fire extinguisher is preferred in a general household setting as it is effective in tackling various types of fires, such as those involving flammable liquids, metals or electrical appliances.

 

Self-Checking of Portable Firefighting Equipment

Domestic users should regularly check their owned portable firefighting equipment.  For portable fire extinguisher, check whether it is rusted, leaking or damaged, etc., to ensure that it is always in efficient working order.  For fire blanket, check whether there is any damage.  The Fire Services Department encourages members of the public to regularly check their portable firefighting equipment to ensure their effectiveness.

Points to note when conducting visual checking of portable fire extinguishers and fire blankets are as follows:

Portable fire extinguisher:

1.  Check the hose, nozzle, lever and safety pin of the fire extinguisher to ensure that they are in good condition (i.e. no rust, deformation or damage, etc.);
2.  Check the pressure gauge (if applicable) to ensure that the fire extinguisher has enough pressure and no leakage.

Gently shake the fire extinguisher on a regular basis to prevent clumping of the dry powder therein. Clean the fire extinguisher and its parts with water and a towel.

Fire blanket:

1. Stretch the fire blanket out and check for any damage.

When needed, clean the fire blanket in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If the manufacturer’s instructions are not available, soak the fire blanket in detergent overnight and then gently wash and brush it with warm water. Do not machine wash or dry clean.

 

Handling of damaged fire extinguisher

Stop using a fire extinguisher immediately if it is found to be significantly rusted, leaking or damaged. If the fire extinguisher needs to be recycled, hand it over to a fire station for proper handling.

 

How to extinguish fire How to use portable fire extinguisher

Image	Item	File
	滅火秘笈 ․ 滅火筒篇 (Chinese Version Only)
	How to extinguish fire How to use portable fire extinguisher (Urdu Version with Urdu and Nepali subtitle)

 

Fire Prevention in the Home

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	Fire Prevention in the Home
	Urdu Version
	Nepali Version

 

Fire Escape

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	Fire Escape
	Urdu Version
	Nepali Version