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HONG KONG, April 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- "Today, the Self Storage Association Asia (SSAA) establishes Asia's first standards and certification programme in Hong Kong: S.A.F.E. Self Storage Standards," says the Chair of the Self Storage Association Asia, Helen Ng. "Consumers and businesses alike will use this AP approved process to have confidence in self storage sites they choose to do business with."
The S.A.F.E. Self Storage Standards promotes regulatory compliance, best practice and accountability in the self storage industry in Hong Kong.
S.A.F.E. stands for:
S: Self Storage
A: Assured
F: Fit-out
E: Endorsement
The S.A.F.E. Self Storage Standards follows Fire Service Department and Building Department guidelines to promote safe, sensible and regulatory-compliant working and self-storage environments. Applicants must pass a rigorous, independent, government Authorised Person (AP) approved process to receive a Gold, Silver or Bronze certificate for each location.
The Association has appointed an independent real estate consultancy Knight Frank to exclusively manage the implementation of the programme and independently assess self storage facilities in Hong Kong. The SSAA will maintain oversight and provide an online reference at www.safeselfstorage.org for those seeking to authenticate the status of certified operators and their sites.
"Knight Frank is proud to assist in the elevation of self storage standards in Hong Kong. This will be an invaluable decision-making factor for institutional investors, commercial lenders, insurance companies and financiers making decisions about doing business with self storage operators," says Calvin Chan, Director, Head of Building Services, Knight Frank. "Consumers and businesses will be able to have peace of mind knowing that APs have signed off on the sites represented on the SAFE website."
Gold Certificates will indicate a site is compliant with BD and FSD fire regulations at time of inspection and will be valid for three years.
Silver Certificates will indicate plans to bring a site into compliance are AP approved and will be valid for one year while the operator is completing renovations.
Bronze Certificates indicate plans for a new (yet to be built) site are AP approved and should, when built, provide for an AP approved site. They are targeted at the business community.
Industry players are supportive of this move.
"We are encouraged by this move from the self storage association to promote good practice and compliance in the self storage industry, which we believe will restore landlord and customer confidence in what is a much-needed sector in Hong Kong. As a major industrial and business space provider across Hong Kong, we support the development of clear guidelines and policies in this sector," says Mr Kristoffer Harvey, CEO of Goodman Asia, the leading and most diversified provider of modern warehouse space in Hong Kong.
Major operators have embraced the programme and Hong Kong's best firms have registered one location each to start with many more to follow.
Participating firms include:
"More companies are applying and more sites of these firms will be added in the coming months as they pass the AP process," says Andrew Work, Executive Director, SSAA. "We look forward to the vast majority of locations owned by reputable companies joining the programme in the next 12 to 24 months."
"The S.A.F.E Self Storage Standards programme will ensure enhanced levels of fire safety that support the solutions proposed by relevant Hong Kong government bodies," said Simon Tyrrell, Chairman of RedBox Storage. "We believe the S.A.F.E. programme will reinforce transparency and increase customer confidence. It will establish recognised standards of compliance that landlords, bankers, insurers and prospective investors apply to all operators. Ultimately, we aim to redefine the self storage industry as a trusted partner of the stakeholders it serves."
Photo Album available here: https://bit.ly/3sP82xa
About SSAA
Self Storage Association Asia ("SSAA") is the non-profit industry body representing the Self Storage and Valet Storage industry across Asia and supporting members to drive best practices and professionalism across the storage sector.
For more details about SSAA and the S.A.F.E Self Storage Standards Programme, please visit www.safeselfstorage.org
