Incidents of falling windows higher in 2016 , Latest Singapore News - The New Paper
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Incidents of falling windows higher in 2016

This article is more than 12 months old

There were more incidents of windows falling from flats this year - 41 cases from January to November, 11 more than in the same period last year, according to the latest figures.

Most of these involved casement windows which had dislodged due to corroded aluminium rivets, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and Housing Board said in a press release yesterday.

Of the 41 cases, 32 involved casement windows, while eight were sliding windows.

One was classified as "other".

The number of falling windows had decreased over the past decade.

In 2005, for example, there were 125 cases reported.

Since 2005, it has been mandatory for home owners to change the aluminium rivets of casement windows to stainless steel ones.

Those who fail to do so can be fined up to $5,000, get jailed up to six months, or both.

If a window falls due to lack of maintenance, home owners can be fined up to $10,000, be jailed for up to a year, or both.

Home owners should check their windows every six months and engage an approved window contractor to repair them if necessary, advised the BCA.

"Home owners should not take window safety for granted. All windows are subject to wear and tear as residents open and close them every day and window parts can become loose or defective, causing them to detach and fall," said BCA director of special functions group Lim Beng Kwee.

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