Hong Kong Regulations

BUILDING (PLANNING) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 41B

Fireman's lifts

(1) Subject to paragraph (4), every building exceeding 2 storeys in height
shall be provided with at least such number of lifts designed and
installed to be used by firemen in the event of a fire ("fireman's lift") as
will ensure that no part of the floors that they serve are more than 60 m from
such a lift.

(2) (Repealed L.N. 136 of 1995)

(3) Fireman's lifts provided in accordance with this regulation shall-

   (a)  be so designed and installed that at least every alternate floor of
        the building is served by at least one fireman's lift;

   (b)  be of an adequate size, and have adequately sized doors, for use by
        firemen with their equipment;

   (c)  be enclosed by a liftwell that encloses no more than 3 fireman's lifts
        and no other lifts;

   (d)  be so designed and installed that, in the event of a fire, firemen
        using the lifts are adequately protected from fire and smoke,
        particularly when leaving the lifts;

   (e)  be so designed and installed that in the event of a fire, firemen can
        gain exclusive control and operation of the lifts so that firemen with
        their equipment can easily, conveniently, safely and speedily reach
        the fire; and

   (f)  be so designed, located and installed that, in the event of a fire,
        firemen can have safe and unobstructed access to the lifts and to the
        floors served by the lifts. (L.N. 136 of 1995)

(4) This regulation does not apply to-

   (a)  a building-

        (i)    provided with only 1 staircase;

        (ii)   not exceeding 6 storeys in height; and

        (iii)  in which the level of the floor of the uppermost storey is not
               more than 17 m above the level of the ground at the point of
               discharge of the staircase;

   (b)  a domestic building not exceeding a height of 30 m; or (L.N. 136 of
        1995)

   (c)  a non-domestic building or the non-domestic part of a composite
        building-

        (i)    in which no industrial undertaking is being, or is intended to
               be carried on and which is not used or intended to be used for
               bulk storage or as a warehouse, place of public entertainment,
               hotel or hospital; and

        (ii)   either- (A) not exceeding a height of 15 m; or (B) exceeding a
               height of 15 m but neither exceeding a height of 30 m nor a
               cubical extent of 7000 m3. (L.N. 136 of 1995)

(5) For the purposes of paragraph (4)(b) or (c), the height of a building
shall be measured in accordance with regulation 23(1).

(6) In this regulation-

"cubical extent" (體積), in relation to a building, means the space
contained within the external surfaces of its walls and roof and the upper
surface of the floor of its lowest storey, excluding any space within any
enclosure on the roof used exclusively for accommodating a water tank or lift
gear or any other services, and, if any side of the building is not enclosed
by a wall, that side shall be deemed to be enclosed by a wall extending
downwards from the outer edge of the roof;

"hotel" (旅館) has the same meaning as in section 2 of the Hotel and 
Guesthouse Accommodation Ordinance ( Cap 349);

"industrial undertaking" (工業經營) has the same meaning as in section 2
of the Factories and Industrial Undertakings Ordinance ( Cap 59). (L.N. 170 of
1992; L.N. 136 of 1995; L.N. 194 of 1996)

"cubical extent" (體積)

"hotel" (旅館)

"industrial undertaking" (工業經營)