A Yau Tsim Mong district councillor said on Tuesday the public shouldn't just rely on the Fire Services Department when it comes to building safety.

Wong Shu-ming's warning came after the department conducted checks on 132 structures believed to be carrying higher risks in a two-day, city-wide operation last month and issued 376 fire-hazard abatement notices over potentially dangerous moves, including smoke-stop doors being wedged open and means of escape being obstructed.

More than 50 prosecutions have also been initiated in the operation, which was carried out in the wake of the devastating Wang Fuk Court inferno that killed 161 residents in late November.

Wong told an RTHK radio programme that some tenants were suspected of keeping the doors open for the sake of convenience, especially when it comes to the owners or tenants of two-floor units.

"It is impossible for the department to carry out inspections and monitoring every day," she said.

"Tenants themselves have to be self-disciplined or they should monitor the situation together. This is important.

"Property managers, for their part, also play a crucial role. If all fire doors in a building are not closed, in the event of an incident, firms cannot escape their responsibilities."

Wong went on to say that tenants should also file a report if fire-safety precautionary measures are not properly observed.

Wong hopes the department could consider carrying out drills at both commercial and residential buildings, saying that some residents are unclear which direction they should head to in the event of a fire.

Lai Kin-mo, senior officer from the department's building improvement strategy and special operations division, said on the same programme that compliance action had been taken in accordance with more than 100 of the abatement notices that had been issued but that some of the other operators needed more time to, for example, replace faulty smoke-stop doors.

He said that officers were following up on the cases involved even though not all fire-safety hazards found during the operation had been addressed.

Lai stressed that the department's aim was to help tenants enhance safety instead of punishing them for their lack of compliance with regulations.