Fire safety authorities open to alternative solutions as mini-storage operators slam strict rules
Operators complain existing requirements difficult to meet due to limited floor space
The city’s fire safety authorities said they were open to “considering alternatives” to certain requirements imposed on mini-storage outlets after operators criticised some of the rules for being too harsh.
The Fire Services Department (FSD) confirmed with the Post that it would consider such proposals but stressed that commercial considerations could not override public safety.
The alternative solutions, which have yet to be agreed on by both parties, must meet fire safety standards, such as making sure partitioned arrangements did not pose inherent security risks, the FSD said.
This came after the Self Storage Association Asia (SSAA), which represents almost two-thirds of the market share in the storage facility industry by gross floor area, revealed at a press conference on Monday that the FSD would “accept alternative solutions”.
“Their ultimate goal is to stop the spread of [a] fire for at least 30 minutes. They have said this outright. They have been willing to accept alternative solutions to meet their goal,” SSAA executive director Luigi La Tona said at the event, referring to a meeting with the FSD on December 30.
