SINGAPORE: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) will be amending the Fire Safety Act, requiring owners of selected older buildings to put in place critical fire safety upgrades, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Home Affairs Sun Xueling said in Parliament on Friday (Mar 1).
This is to ensure that older buildings are also upgraded with time, she said in her Committee of Supply speech.
AdvertisementThe Government will prioritise “high-risk” industrial buildings, public buildings and hospitals. Authorities will work closely with owners of these buildings to ensure that the new requirements are practicable, said Ms Sun.
The announcement followed a review of the Fire Code last year requiring all new residential premises and buildings that undergo addition and alteration works to be fitted with smoke detectors.
She added that the amendments will also address enforcement gaps, allowing the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to take action against “errant party who use, or cause the use of, non-compliant fire safety products”.
“Currently, it is an offence for certain parties such as building owners, occupiers, and industry professional to install non-compliant fire safety products. However, it is not an offence if parties are involved in the supply of non-compliant fire safety products, but stop short of installing them on buildings,” said Ms Sun.
AdvertisementAdvertisementSMOKE DETECTORS TO BE INSTALLED IN 60,000 RENTAL FLATS
She also announced that around 60,000 rental flats will be fitted with home fire alarm devices or smoke detectors in the next two to three years at no charge.
[h=3]READ: 28,000 rental flats to get free smoke detectors from mid-2018[/h]The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Housing Development Board (HBD) have identified the 60,000 flats, which include houses occupied by elderly residents, said Ms Sun.
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