Hong Kong Regulations

BUILDING (PLANNING) REGULATIONS - REGULATION 41C

Firefighting and rescue stairway

(1) This regulation applies to-

   (a)  every building exceeding-

        (i)    a height of 30 m; or

        (ii)   a cubical extent of 7000 m3 and a height of 1 storey, in which
               an industrial undertaking is being, or is intended to be
               carried on or which is used, or is intended to be used for bulk
               storage or as a warehouse; and

   (b)  every basement-

        (i)    exceeding a cubical extent of 7000 m3; and

        (ii)   either- (A) exceeding a height of 2 storeys; or (B) exceeding a
               depth of 9 m from the floor level of the ground  storey above
               the basement to the floor level of the lowest storey in the
               basement. (L.N. 136 of 1995)

(2) Every building or basement to which this regulation applies shall be
provided with at least such number of firefighting and rescue  stairways as
will ensure that no part of the building (including any basement in the
building) or basement is more than 60 m from such a stairway.

(3) Subject to paragraph (4A), every firefighting and rescue  stairway shall
be so designed and constructed that-

   (a)  no lift other than a fireman's lift is installed in the stairway;

   (b)  not more than 3 fireman's lifts are installed in the stairway;

   (c)  if the roof is accessible by a staircase, the access staircase of the
        stairway serves the roof;

   (d)  in the event of a fire, firemen may have safe and unobstructed access-

        (i)    to all floors; and

        (ii)   if subparagraph (c) applies, to the roof; and

   (e)  firemen using the stairway are adequately protected from fire and
        smoke. (L.N. 136 of 1995)

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

(4A) A fireman's lift in a firefighting and rescue stairway is not required to
serve the top floor of a building to which this regulation applies if the
Building Authority is satisfied that there is no practicable alternative to
locating the machine room for the lift on that floor. (L.N. 136 of 1995)

(5) In this regulation-

"access staircase" (通道樓梯) has the same meaning as in regulation 41A;

"basement" (地庫) means any storey of a building below the ground storey and
from which any exit route required by or under these regulations is in an
upward direction;

"cubical extent" (體積) has the same meaning as in regulation 41B;

"firefighting and rescue stairway" (消防和救援樓梯間) means a stairway
accommodating an access staircase and a fireman's lift;

"fireman's lift" (消防員升降機) has the same meaning as in regulation
41B;

"ground storey" (地面樓層) means the storey in which is situated an
entrance from a street to the building and, where a building fronts or abuts
on more than on street and due to a difference in street levels there are 2 or
more entrances serving different street and situated in different storeys,
means each such storey. (L.N. 170 of 1992)

"access staircase" (通道樓梯)

"basement" (地庫)

"cubical extent" (體積)

"firefighting and rescue stairway" (消防和救援樓梯間)

"fireman's lift" (消防員升降機)

"ground storey" (地面樓層)