Copyright Warning Use of this thesis/dissertation/project is for the purpose of private study or scholarly research only. Users must comply with the Copyright Ordinance. Anyone who consults this thesis/dissertation/project is understood to recognise that its copyright rests with its author and that no part of it may be reproduced without the author’s prior written consent. CITY UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG 香港城市大學 A Study on the Fire Safety Management of Public Rental Housing in Hong Kong 香港公共房屋消防安全管理制度之探討 Submitted to Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering 土木及建築工程系 in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Engineering Doctorate 工程學博士學位 by Yeung Cho Hung 楊楚鴻 September 2012 二零一二年九月 i Abstract of dissertation entitled: A Study on the Fire Safety Management of Public Rental Housing in Hong Kong submitted by YEUNG CHO HUNG for the degree of Engineering Doctorate in Civil and Architectural Engineering at The City University of Hong Kong in September, 2012. ABSTRACT At the end of the Pacific War, there were a large number of refugees flowing into Hong Kong from the Mainland China. Many of them lived in illegal squatter areas. In 1953, a big fire occurred in Shek Kip Mei squatter area which rendered these people homeless. The disastrous fire embarked upon the long term public housing development in Hong Kong. Today, the Hong Kong Housing Authority (HKHA) which was established pursuant to the Housing Ordinance is charged with the responsibility to develop and implement a public housing programme in meeting the housing needs of people who cannot afford private rental housing. It is always a big challenge for the HKHA to manage and maintain a large portfolio of residential properties which were built across several decades under different architectural standards and topology. In particular, to ensure that the building stocks are maintained in a safe and habitable state remains fundamental importance. ii It is understandable that buildings constructed many years ago are unlikely to fully comply with current fire safety code. While endeavors on alteration and improvement works on fire safety provisions are always taken by HKHA, there may still be technical constraints on the scope of works to be undertaken. It is a general acceptance that good fire safety management (FSM) plays a key role in elevating the fire safety level of a building. In this research project, attempts will be made to study how organized and structured FSM will contribute to fire safety of existing HKHA buildings. A literature review will first be conducted on various fire risk assessment techniques. The local fire safety legislations and hence major deviations of the existing building stocks from the current fire safety codes; as well as the FSM practices in HKHA will also be reviewed. Although there is no mandatory requirement on FSM, the FSM practice within the HKHA is found to be structured and organized. The ignition frequencies of the housing stocks are further analysed empirically based on the available records of the fire incidents. There is no observed overall significant variation in the number of fires per block for each Block Group within the 5 years from 2006 to 2010; despite those older blocks may not be designed as per the current fire codes in comparison with those newer design blocks. Furthermore, Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) technique will be used to study the effect of FSM on the reduction in fire risk level on a conceptual basis. Although the probabilities of basic events are not exactly known, it is possible to have an analysis iii on a comparative basis. Through a questionnaire approach to the professionals in the building industries (comprising Building Services Engineers, Building Surveyors and Estate Managers); the various probabilities are estimated to evaluate the risk level reduction as a result of structured FSM. The results reveal that the improvement in risk level is quite substantial. Finally, the thesis will discuss on the development and implementation issues for a FSM system in the setting of HKHA. While the FSM system in the organization is structured and organized, it is not a formal and systemic one. A formal system similar to that of occupational health and safety is therefore proposed. In addition, a Fire Safety Management Index scheme is also put forward to encourage the property owners and managers to commit on FSM as an interim measure even though formal legislation is not in place. The scheme will provide a means of recognition on the achievement of a high standard of building management regarding fire safety; which certainly adds values to the property. iv Acknowledgements Dr. S.M. Lo is amongst the leading academics of fire engineering in Hong Kong and is my chief supervisor for the research. During the period of candidature, the life is hard amidst study, business and family commitments. Without the dedicated advice, supervision, support and encouragement from Dr. Lo, the writing of this thesis would become almost impossible. I would also thank my co-supervisor, Dr. Richard K.K. Yuen, for his valuable comment, advice and input as well. Thanks are also due to Dr. Eric W.M. Lee for his involvement as my mentor for this project, and his coaching is deeply appreciated. I would also thank Dr. W.H. Fok for his encouragement, arrangement of seminars and administrative support for the programme. On the professional side, I would also thank Dr. H.H. Wu, my industrial supervisor for his continuous encouragement during the study, and sharing of his previous research experience and insight. During the lengthy period of research study, there are some ups and downs. Thanks to my mum, for taking care of me, and pardoning me with utmost patience at that critical moment. v Last, but not the least, acknowledgements are also given to the cohort of students for discussion, sharing of experiences and support amongst each others. Apart from private study and research, the interactions amongst each classmate widen my body of knowledge and viewpoints, which enrich the entire study journey and life experience at large. vi List of Publications During the period of candidature and research process, the following papers have been submitted to the International Journal on Engineering Performance-Based Fire Codes for publication: Yeung, C.H., (2007a), “Fire safety management of public rental housing in Hong Kong”, International Journal on Engineering Performance-Based Fire Codes, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 163-176. Yeung, C.H., (2007b), “Review of fire safety legislation in Hong Kong”, International Journal on Engineering Performance-Based Fire Codes, Vol. 9, No. 4, pp. 177-182. vii Table of Contents Page ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... iv List of Publications ..................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ....................................................................................................... vii List of Figures .......................................................................................................... xiii List of Tables ............................................................................................................. xvi CHAPTER 1 Introduction .......................................................................................... 1 1.1 Brief History of Hong Kong ..................................................................... 1 1.2 Development of Public Rental Housing (PRH) in Hong Kong ............... 1 1.3 Overview of fire safety performance in Hong Kong ................................ 4 1.3.1 Number of Fire Calls in Hong Kong ............................................ 7 1.3.2 Classification of Fires by Causes ............................................... 10 1.4 Background of the research .................................................................... 14 1.5 Aims and objectives ............................................................................... 15 1.6 Research methodology ........................................................................... 16 1.7 Contribution ........................................................................................... 18 1.8 Organisation of the thesis ....................................................................... 19 CHAPTER 2 Literature Review ............................................................................... 23 2.1 Fire Safety Management and Fire Risk Assessment .............................. 23 2.2 Definition of risk .................................................................................... 23 2.3 Risk perception....................................................................................... 25 viii 2.4 Risk tolerance ......................................................................................... 28 2.4.1 De Minimis risk and As Low As Reasonably Practicable (ALARP) ................................................................................... 30 2.4.2 Comparative approach to risk tolerance ..................................... 31 2.5 Individual Risk vs. Societal Risk ........................................................... 32 2.6 Fire risk assessment methodology .......................................................... 35 2.6.1 Qualitative fire risk assessment .................................................