'A Gentle Whisper in Your Ear'

Successful Elaboration of ‘Fire Safety for All’ in China’s Bay Area !

2019-07-26:  This time last month, in June … I was visiting a hot and humid Hong Kong and Macau, only 1 hour apart on a sea ferry, in China’s Bay Area … to make a Keynote CPD Presentation on Fire Safety for All – Nobody Left Behind ! in the Hong Kong Institute of Architects … and following that up with a full morning Workshop and an afternoon Plenary Presentation at the large 2019 Rehabilitation International Asia-Pacific Region Conference, in Macau, later in the week.

2019 Rehabilitation International Asia-Pacific Conference (Macau) – 26 to 28 June

The Theme of this 3-Day Conference, in #Macau, was Together, Leaving No One Behind, In Disability-Inclusive & Rights-Based Progress.  Attended by 1,500 delegates from 30 different countries, the event also gathered together more than 250 international experts, practitioners, academics and researchers from all over the world.

Two Exhibitions, visited by 6,000 people, were organized alongside the Conference: 1) ‘Facilitation and Mobility Aids + Assistive Technologies’ … and 2) ‘Art’.

It is worthwhile noting  that #China ratified the U.N. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (#CRPD) on 1 August 2008 … but has not yet signed, never mind ratified, the Convention’s Optional Protocol … a clear signal of current political intent which, hopefully, will change in the not-too-distant future.  Every year, Hong Kong and Macau submit reports to Beijing regarding CRPD compliance status and implementation.

Without being able to use a #Lift/#Elevator for Fire Evacuation in a building … there is No Fire Safety for All !

In a developing fire incident, People with Activity Limitations must be provided with a safe, alternative evacuation route – just like all other building users – which is a Fundamental Principle of all Fire Engineering.  However … just one #User/#Occupant Fire Evacuation Lift/Elevator in a building is an empty, meaningless, Token Gesture !

.

‘Fire Safety for All’ on Macau TV News … Friday night, 28 June 2019 … my friend and colleague, Ar Joseph Kwan (Architect & Accessibility Consultant based in Hong Kong), is the person being interviewed …

.

.

Hong Kong Institute of Architects CPD Seminar – 24 June 2019

Continuing Professional Development (#CPD) is an important aspect of Ethical Architectural Practice.  Arriving drenched in a heavy rain downpour on the Monday evening … I was not surprised, therefore, to find that this Seminar was well attended by local architects.  Representatives of HK Authorities Having Jurisdiction (#AHJ’s), and Local Fire Services, as well as senior personnel involved in the development of the HK Code of Practice for Fire Safety in Buildings and the HK Barrier Free Design Manual were active participants in the panel discussion afterwards.

.

• ‘Fire Safety for All’ on Twitter … @firesafety4all
• Sustainable Fire Engineering Group on LinkedIn … https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8390667/
• The ‘Fire Safety for All’ Website … for Technical Papers, Practical Information, Links & Other Resources … https://fire-safety-for-all.sustainable-design.ie/

.

.

END

Tags: #PwAL, #PwD, 'Fire Safety for All - Nobody Left Behind !', 'Fire Safety for All' Matrix, 'Fire Safety for All' on Macau TV News, 2005 and 2008 NIST(USA) Reports on the 9-11 WTC Buildings 1- 2 and 7 Collapses, 2017 Grenfell Tower Fire, 2019 Rehabilitation International Asia-Pacific Region Conference, Accessibility of buildings for people with disabilities, Accessibility-for-All, AHJ, Ar C.J. Walsh, Ar Joseph Kwan, Area of Rescue Assistance in a Building, Art, Assistive Technologies, Beijing, Building, Built Environment, China, CLE, Collapse Level Event, Construction, Continuing Professional Development, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, CPD, CRPD, Disability, Disproportionate Damage, Ethical Architectural Practice, Facilitation and Mobility Aids, Fire Engineering Design, Fire Safety, Fire Serviceability Limit States, Fire-Induced Progressive Damage, firefighters, FireOx International, Fundamental Principle of all Fire Engineering, HK Authorities Having Jurisdiction, HK Barrier Free Design Manual, HK Code of Practice for Fire Safety in Buildings, HKIA Keynote CPD Presentation, Hong Kong, Hong Kong Institute of Architects, human and social rights, human environment, IBC, International Building Code, Lift/Elevator for Fire Evacuation, LinkedIn, Local Fire Services, London, Macau, Migrants, People with Activity Limitations (2001 WHO ICF), people with disabilities, Personnes à Performances Réduites (2001 WHO ICF), Poor, Priority Theme of Sustainable Fire Engineering, Refugees, Social Environment, Structural Stability, Successful Elaboration of 'Fire Safety for All' in China's Bay Area !, Sustainability Implementation, Sustainable Design International, Sustainable Human & Social Development, Technical Control of Construction, Twitter, U.N., Vulnerable Building Users, Website