Chapter 21. Official Premises and Equipment

2100. Heads of Departments are responsible for ensuring that all public buildings under their charge are:

1. equipped, where necessary, with Fire Extinguishers and, that arrangements are made for the periodical examination of such equipment and, the supply of refills, and;
2. as far as practicable, hurricane proof and, that all doors, windows, etcetera are made secure on notification of a Hurricane Warning.
   

2101. Heads of Departments are responsible for allocating to an officer in each division of the Department the duty of periodically inspecting the public buildings which are in the charge of the Head of Division, and reporting to the Deputy Head of Department any defects, or; damage that he observes, or; which are at any time brought to his notice.
2102. The responsibility for maintaining all Government buildings is vested in the Ministry of Works whose duty it is to repair all damage to property chargeable to Public Funds including that which occurs through fault, or; neglect on the part of the authorized occupier.
2103. Heads of Departments will ensure that arrangements are made in every Government building in their charge for the proper cleansing of the woodwork, the removal of dirt and cobwebs from the walls, ceiling, or; roof, the cleaning of glass windows, the oiling of locks and bolts, the sweeping and the dusting and, for maintaining in neat and orderly condition all out buildings and the grounds, or; compound.
2104. Before or immediately after any Government building is occupied an officer designated by the Permanent Secretary or Head of Department of the Ministry or Department concerned will, call for the keys of the building and report to the Public Works Department any defect, or; damage.
2105. Officers entrusted with Government keys are personally responsible for their adequate care. The loss of any key in circumstances suggesting negligence by the officer concerned will render him personally liable for any expense incurred by The Government in replacing same, or; in furnishing new locks and keys.
2106. Heads of Departments are required to keep a register of all keys to buildings and offices under their control, and all officers to whom keys are issued for retention are required to acknowledge the receipt of keys by signature in the register. Duplicates of keys must not be kept in the offices, or; buildings for which they are used. Heads of Departments must ensure that keys of offices and buildings are handled only by responsible officers. Loss of keys must be reported at once to the Head of Department.
2107. No repairs, alterations, additions, or; improvements to official premises may be undertaken at the public cost without the authority of the Director of Public Works, or; his authorised Deputy.
2108. Where repairs, alterations, additions, or; improvements to official premises are desired, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry concerned (or the Head of Department if there is no post of Permanent Secretary) will apply to the Ministry of Works stating the requirements in detail and fully explaining the necessity or desirability of the proposed work.
2109. As soon as possible after the estimates have been approved Heads of Departments must notify the Permanent Secretaries of their requirements of new items of furniture and equipment, or; of necessary repairs to furniture and equipment, in their offices. Indents for equipment will be submitted where necessary. Each item of furniture must be shown separately, together with the estimated cost of the item or repairs. In the case of new items, it must also be stated whether or not they are additional to items on the inventory and, if so, the purpose for which they are required. If the new items are required as replacements, the Head of Department must certify that the items which they are to replace are of no further use.
2110. It is the duty of officers who use Typewriters, Accounting Machines, Adding and Calculating Machines, to ensure that they are kept properly cleaned, oiled and in good working condition, and to report promptly the need for any repairs to these machines.