| News
Stories: |  |
Click-on these
handy "jump links" to quickly access the news item
you're looking
for. 1.
Slope safety begins with you
1. Slope safety begins with you The
Geotechnical Engineering Office (GEO) of the Civil Engineering Department (CED)
has set up an internet training course to help the public understand more on slope
maintenance. Introducing the course, Head of the GEO, Mr Raymond Chan Kin-sek,
said that it was an interactive course given in three course levels: beginner,
intermediate and advanced and is designed for students, members of the public,
property owners and parties concerned, as well as professional engineers/property
management personnel. The course is set up in the "Slope Safety Island"
of the Hong Kong Slope Safety Website (http://hkss.ced.gov.hk). The beginner course
contains interactive multimedia functions and games on how to maintain man-made
slopes and retaining walls. The intermediate course is more comprehensive and
informative, whereas the advanced course includes more technical and procedural
contents. Explaining the need for enhanced education on slope maintenance, Mr
Chan noted that the public had maintained a sustained high level of awareness
and understanding of slope safety and slope maintenance. "However, the public
may lack an understanding of slope maintenance standards and they do not possess
adequate experience in handling technical matters," he said. The course had
provided a free educational tool on slope maintenance on internet to enable slope
owners to obtain information on slope safety standards and technical matters whenever
needed, he added. Apart from the training course, GEO has also published guides,
including "Geoguide 5: Guide to Slope Maintenance" and a "Layman's
Guide to Slope Maintenance", to provide handy guidance to slope owners on
slope maintenance. GEO's Community Advisory Unit (CAU) also proactively approaches
property owners, owners' corporations and mutual aid committees to advise them
on how to maintain and upgrade their slopes. Besides, the unit also provides meet-the-public
service to answer queries and provide information on slope safety matters. Mr
Chan said the public could call CAU staff (on tel 2760 5800) who were most happy
to answer questions on slope matters. He said GEO also produced a Model Slope
Maintenance Plan and a Training Video CD for free delivery to private slope owners.
To spread slope safety messages to primary school students, GEO is also producing
cartoon books on key slope safety messages. "The intention is to educate
our younger generation that poorly maintained slopes can endanger lives,"
he said. "Through our intensified publicity and public education campaigns
on slope maintenance, I hope that slope owners could stay alert to their slope
conditions and carry out maintenance works whenever needed to prevent landslides,"
he added. [Source:
Works Bureau, 29 March 2002] |  |
|
