Over 2,000 Members of Property Management Industry
Attended Property Management Services Authority’s
Continuing Professional Development Seminar to Examine from
Different Perspectives Ways to Enhance
Safety of Swimming Facilities in Properties
The Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) today organised a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) seminar jointly with the Hong Kong Association of Property Management Companies (HKAPMC), the Hong Kong China Life Saving Society (HKLSS) and the Hong Kong Institute of Vocational Education of the Vocational Training Council (IVE) whereby over 2,000 members of the property management (PM) industry attended physically and online to examine from different perspectives ways to enhance safety of swimming facilities in properties for ensuring the safety of users.
At the seminar, Dr Johnnie Chan, member of the Property Management Services Authority (PMSA) and Honorary Secretary of HKLSS gave advice to the industry on how to verify the qualification of duty lifeguards at swimming pools; Mr Allan Wong, Council Member of the HKAPMC, shared with the industry on matters to attend to for PM companies managing swimming pools, engageing pool management contractors as well as duty lifeguards; Ms Diana Pang, General Manager (Regulatory) of the PMSA, delivered talk on the obligations of the industry in ensuring the safety of swimming facilities and explained relevant Codes of Conduct issued by the PMSA.
Professor Eddie Hui, Vice Chairperson of the PMSA, said, “Many residential properties, hotels and clubhouses in Hong Kong provide swimming facilities for their users. However, lifeguards without proper qualification working at swimming pools recently has caused community concern about pool safety. It is important for PM companies and practitioners, as manager of property facilities, to examine areas to pay attention to for ensuring swimming pool safety and preventing accidents as well as properly discharging the management responsibilities.”
Professor Hui emphasised, “Good swimming pool management not only provides users with facilities that are safe to use, but also enhances the professional image and standard of the PM industry. I hope that all fellow industry members will work together to build a safer and better quality living environment for the community.”
Dr Edmond Cheng, President of HKAPMC, also said, “Swimming pool management is a very complex subject and is undoubtedly a specialty and a test of professional knowledge and management skills of PM practitioners. Ensuring swimming pool safety and preventing accidents are top priorities amongst all aspects of swimming pool management. A PM company, whether engaging contractor or managing swimming pool facilities by itself, needs to ensure compliance with the statutory requirements for ensuring the safety of swimmers and preventing occurrence of accidents.”
Ms Pang of the PMSA emphasised in her talk that licensed PM companies have to, whether engaging lifeguards by themselves or through swimming pool contractor, verify the qualification of lifeguards, and display notices at the pool to show the photograph of the duty lifeguards, their names (Chinese and English) and lifesaving certificate number, so as to enhance the transparency of swimming pool operation and public’s confidence in swimming pool safety. Staff of the PMSA will check if sufficient qualified duty lifeguards have been deployed and all necessary requirements have been met at swimming pool when inspecting the operation of licensed PM companies.
The venue and technical support for the seminar was provided by IVE.
Following the ending of the three-year transitional period under the PM industry licensing regime, the PMSA has implemented the CPD Scheme on mandatory basis in stages. Mandatory participation in CPD activities is required for licensed PMPs in order to drive the PM industry to advance with time and raise its professional standard and status. Licensed PM practitioners (Tier 1) are required to participate in at least 12 hours of CPD activities/courses which meet the CPD requirement each year from 1 January 2024 onwards, and licensed PM practitioners (Tier 2) are required to participate in at least 6 hours of CPD activities/courses which meet the CPD requirement each year from 1 January 2025 onwards. The PMSA has, from 1 August 2023 onwards, imposed condition on all newly issued or renewed licences requiring the licensees concerned to meet the mandatory participation requirement in CPD. Non-compliance would affect future licence renewal. PM Practitioner licence holders who attend and complete the seminar can earn recognised CPD hours under the PMSA CPD Scheme and would be awarded electronic certificate of attendance by the PMSA.
For details, please visit the PMSA website: https://www.pmsa.org.hk/en/professional-development/continuing-professional-development-scheme.
Ends/Tuesday, 3 December 2024
Issued at HKT 18:00
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