Report a window into department weakness in Hong Kong

To say that some public safety measures are implemented half-heartedly by the Hong Kong government is perhaps no exaggeration. A case in point is the mandatory window inspection scheme introduced following a series of fatal accidents caused by panes of glass falling from high-rises years ago. Continuous weak enforcement has resulted in non-compliance remaining commonplace.

The scale of the problem has been put into perspective by the latest value-for-money report from the Audit Commission. It is disturbing to learn that more than 26,600 notices issued by the Buildings Department to homeowners regarding window inspections have not been addressed, of which 43 per cent have exceeded the compliance deadline by an average of 61⁄2 years. Penalties have also been ignored, with almost half of the 4,208 tickets issued for failing to follow statutory notices left unpaid and not referred to the court for further action, the commission said.



Since 2012, owners of buildings that are at least 10 years old or more, and who receive statutory notices, have to appoint qualified professionals to inspect and conduct necessary repairs to windows within nine months..