Page:Fire Safety (Buildings) Ordinance (Cap. 572).pdf/14

FIRE SAFETY (BUILDINGS) ORDINANCE PART III 15. Authorized officers

(1) An enforcement authority may, in writing, authorize a public officer to exercise or perform such of the functions conferred or imposed on authorized officers by this Ordinance as are specified in the authorization.

(2) The Director of Fire Services and the Director of Buildings and all police officers are taken to be authorized officers for the purposes of this Ordinance.

(3) When exercising or performing a function conferred or imposed by this Ordinance, an authorized officer—
 * (a) may be assisted by such persons as the officer reasonably requires in order to exercise or perform the function; and
 * (b) must, if required to do so, produce for inspection the officer’s identity card and, except in the case of the persons referred to in subsection (2), the authorization issued to the officer under subsection (1).

16. Power to enter a building, etc. and other powers of authorized officers

(1) An authorized officer may enter and inspect a building or part of a building without warrant if the officer reasonably believes that—
 * (a) it is or may be a composite building or domestic building or a part thereof; or
 * (b) an offence against this Ordinance is being or has been committed therein.

(2) An authorized officer may also enter and inspect a building or part of a building without warrant in order to ascertain whether or not a fire safety direction or fire safety compliance order, as the case may be, made in respect of it has been complied with.

(3) An authorized officer must not enter under subsection (1) or (2) any part of a building—
 * (a) intended for domestic purposes; and
 * (b) in respect of which the occupier of that part of the building has an exclusive right of use and enjoyment,

unless no less than 24 hours’ notice in writing of an intended entry by such officer has been given to that occupier.