SCDF recommends new cladding measures
New rules regarding cladding look set to be introduced next year.
Yesterday, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) released four key recommendations to improve the current usage and approval of composite panels.
These include tightening the certification requirements, requiring critical information to be embossed on every panel, and amending the Fire Safety Act to make it an offence to use non-compliant products and materials.
It was also recommended that stakeholders understand the regulations better.
The recommendations come after a fire at an industrial building at 30 Toh Guan Road last year in which a 54-year-old woman died.
Investigations revealed non-compliant cladding was used, triggering an extensive review of buildings islandwide.
SCDF identified a total of 60 buildings with non-compliant cladding, out of which 45 have since completely removed the cladding.
The remaining 15 buildings are in the process of removing the cladding, and all removal works are expected to be completed by August next year.
The 13-member Cladding Regulatory Regime Review Advisory Panel was convened in February, and concluded their work in September, having reviewed the latest recommendations by the SCDF.
If implemented, only locally-registered companies can supply approved cladding in Singapore. This would enable the SCDF to take action against those companies who supply non-compliant products here.
Overseas companies will still be able to supply fire safety products to the Singapore market, but will have to do so through a local distributor.
Testing of samples from every new project site will also be mandatory, as site testing is a strong deterrence against the use of non-compliant cladding.
Speaking to the media yesterday, Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam said: "Checking the buildings, changing the panels is one aspect, but let's look at how it happened. Look at our processes, review them, look at the fire safety regulations and the certification process."
He added: "That panel has made a number of recommendations. We will adopt them, we will put them through legislation by the first half of next year."
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