Following the circular issued by the Office of the Licensing Authority (OLA), Home Affairs Department, on 13 August 2026, the OLA and the Fire Services Department (FSD) held a briefing today (2 September 2026), attended by over 400 hotel and guesthouse representatives. The session outlined implementation arrangements and provided technical and procurement details.
Smoke hoods enhance survival during fire evacuation by filtering toxic gases, resisting heat, maintaining visibility, and blocking smoke. They are simple to use and, as they are not classified as fire service installations under the Fire Service (Installations and Equipment) Regulations (Cap. 95B), FSD approval is not required. Applicable standards include GB (China), EN (Europe), and ASTM (United States).
FSD recommends procuring GB-standard smoke hoods with CCC certification for cost efficiency. Hotels should request CCC certificates from suppliers, verify packaging and the 16-digit CCC code, and confirm validity via the National Certification and Accreditation Administration (CNCA) platform. Deployment should correspond to maximum room occupancy, with units placed near entrances in visible locations. Expired, damaged, or opened smoke hoods must be replaced.
The measure will operate on a provisional one-year basis, on a non-mandatory arrangement. The Government will review effectiveness after one year and announce subsequent arrangements.
