FIRE SAFETY IN HOUSING BOARD FLATS (Clarification)

[Mr Speaker in the Chair]

The Minister for Social Affairs (Encik Othman Bin Wok): Sir, may I have your consent and the general assent of Members present to allow me and my colleague, the Minister for National Development and Communications, to make statements now to clarify further the reply that I made yesterday in the matter of high-rise fires raised by the Member for Kim Seng?

Mr Speaker: I give my consent. Do I have the general assent of Hon. Members?

Hon. Members indicated assent.

Encik Othman Bin Wok: Mr Speaker, Sir, due to insufficient coverage in press reports concerning the reply I made to a question raised by the Member for Kim Seng on high-rise fires, I wish to clarify some of the points I made on fire safety in HDB flats.

What I have stated is from the point of view of the Fire Brigade in terms of overcoming some of the difficulties faced by firemen in having to carry the fire hoses and other equipment with them when climbing up the stairs where the lifts are rendered unusable. From the point of view of fire safety, the HDB flats are quite safe. Such flats are constructed of non-combustible material. There is also little danger of a fire-spread since the flats are separated by fire-resisting walls and floors, and hence a fire originating in one flat will be confined to the affected flat.

Like the private high-rise flats, :here are staircases in addition to lifts in HDB flats. Modern and sophisticated fire protection equipment, like sprinklers and smoke detectors, are only required in office and commercial buildings because of the greater amount of combustible material used and stored. Furthermore, in these commercial high-rise buildings, the installation of central air-conditioning enhances the chances of fire and smoke spreading through the air-conditioning ducts. For the HDB flats and other private high-rise flats, it is not necessary to install such expensive equipment which are intended as warning and automatic devices to deal with fires which might have started in portions of office and commercial buildings which are not always occupied.

The Singapore Fire Brigade has experienced no difficulty at all in dealing with fires occurring in HDB flats, The few fires that occurred were put out within minutes of the arrival of fire engines. For example, a fire which broke out on the 10th floor flat at Chin Swee Road on 22nd October, 1975 was immediately put out by two jets of water without difficulty. Similar fires which occurred in HDB flats at Outram Park, Toa Payoh and Bendemeer Road. were also quickly extinguished.

The Brigade has conducted regular fire drills in high-rise buildings. Fire exercises have been conducted in selected HDB flats as part of the pre-fire planning which is being carried out by the Brigade to familiarise their men with the layout of the premises, and to give them on-the-spot training in tactical fire-fighting and rescue operations in HDB flats. To increase the operational efficiency of the Fire Brigade, recently three new water tenders, one emergency tender, one 30-metre hydraulic platform, a dry chemical truck, and six light water tenders have been acquired, and orders have been placed for two more water tenders. The Brigade has also acquired a mobile control unit for facilitating effective communication in the event of a high-rise fire, and a breathing apparatus vehicle equipped with breathing apparatuses for use at the fire ground.

Ultimately, fire safety in HDB flats, for that matter, any building, will depend upon the residents themselves, for they must cultivate good fire safety habits and understand the need to exercise greater caution and be more fire conscious.

Our experience has shown that fires are often caused by carelessness and complacency. We must inculcate the habit of exercising constant vigilance against any fire hazard in our homes and daily life. Simple measures like forbidding children to play with matches and inflammable substances, or making sure that naked flames are not left unattended, or that cooking and electrical appliances are switched off after use, can be easily observed, and do not require much time or effort. In addition, residents should also learn to handle simple fire-fighting equipment, such as extinguishers, so that they will be able to put out a fire in its initial stage and thus help to prevent fire-spread and unnecessary damage.

The Brigade conducts short courses in fire-fighting and fire protection for occupants of high-rise buildings, industrial workers and members of the public. Every year, a Fire Brigade Week is also organised. Exhibitions to educate the public on fire safety measures are also held in conjunction with the campaign. Pamphlets and brochures in different languages such as Fire in Your Home and Check list for Fire Safety in Homes are distributed to members of the public.

I hope more people will take advantage of these educational programmes so that collectively we can help to promote fire safety in the Republic.

The Minister for National Development and Communications (Mr Lim Kim San): Sir, I am glad to have this opportunity to correct any misconception that may arise out of the observations made by the Member for Kim Seng yesterday with regard to fire safety precautionary measures in Housing Board flats.

In this House, the Housing and Development Board has been accused of many things, some of them deserved, most of them undeserved. The implication made that the Housing and Development Board does not provide minimum fire safety precautions or does not incorporate safeguards against fire in HDB flats is most undeserved and unfair.

The HDB has made a thorough study of the fire prevention aspects in the design of its flats and as a result the flats are designed and built so that there is a relatively lower fire risk,

Fires in homes are mostly caused by short-circuit of old electrical wires concealed in ceilings; often they start in the kitchen. There are no concealed ceilings in HDB flats and all wirings are exposed enabling easy identification of faults and rectification. Any electrical point to be installed and any renovation or change in design of the flat have to be approved by the Board. The wirings are renewed at intervals of 15 to 20 years. There is therefore less chance of fire occurring due to old wiring or short circuits inside the ceiling.

HDB flats are built of reinforced concrete, bricks or hollow bricks which are also non-combustible. The risk of a major fire is greater in hotels, departmental stores, commercial buildings and store houses where combustible materials are likely to be stored. The combustible material in HDB flats are limited to a small amount of furniture and furnishings. The HDB is very strict in ensuring that commercial and industrial activities are not carried out in its flats. The use of charcoal and wood for cooking is also prohibited. We know of one instance where a goldsmith made illegal use of his flat and he probably used an oxy-acetylene torch to design his jewellery. There was an explosion but the fire did not spread.

Many casualties in a fire are due to the victims being overcome by smoke, But staircases in HDB flats are made of concrete and will not burn. These staircases are not enclosed. They are open and smoke cannot build up to impede access. In slab blocks, several concrete staircases with access to common corridors which are fully ventilated are provided. So the chances of being overcome by smoke in a HDB flat in a fire are almost negligible. The flats are designed in such a way that fire occurring in one apartment is unlikely to spread to another. Our experience has shown that the design to contain fire is successful for fire occurring in 2, 3, 4 and 5-room flats had not spread after burning up the contents within the flat itself.

However, in 1 --room flats, fires have spread from one flat to the adjoining flat through open BRC wire-mesh below the ceiling. Hon. Members will remember that complaints were made against sealing these openings in the present debate and the reply given was that they have to be closed in order to prevent fire from spreading. It is not fortuitous that there have been no raging infernos in HDB flats. It is by design that the Fire God has not been given the opportunity to vent his fury there.

The HDB is fully aware of the danger of fire occurring in high-rise buildings and has minimised fire risks in the design and structure of its flats. There is a relatively lower fire risk in HDB flats and the anti-fire measures mentioned by the Member for Kim Seng need not be installed. For his information and for the information of Members, even luxury high-rise flats built by private enterprises are not required to instal them. To prevent alarm among flat dwellers, let me say that sprinklers, or the smoke or heat detecting systems, are required by law to be installed in hotels, commercial and industrial buildings only. Residential buildings are not required to instal them.

Sprinklers are very expensive items and need only be installed where necessary. Smoke and heat systems are not practical in flats and homes as smoke and heat are generated in the kitchen and will set them off. Mr Speaker, Sir, I would like to assure Members that the safety, comfort and wellbeing of its tenants are uppermost in the minds of HDB and the Board will continue to improve on the design and structure of its flats not only to prevent occurrence of raging infernos but also to enable Singaporeans to build a comfortable home.

Mr Ho See Beng (Bras Basah): Mr Speaker, Sir, may I ask a supplementary question?

Mr Speaker: Is the Minister willing to reply to the supplementary question?

Mr Lim Kim San: Yes.

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, the fact still remains that fires do occur in Housing Board flats, Therefore some sort of preventive measure is necessary, as prevention is better than cure. Sir, does the Minister not think so?

Mr Lim Kim San: Mr Speaker, Sir, fire has also occurred in my home. But what is the Member implying when he says that the Housing Board flats are a fire hazard and they are dangerous? I have already explained that having studied the occurrence and the whys and wherefores of fire in Housing Board flats, these flats are so designed that they have a relatively lower fire risk.

Mr Ho Kah Leong: (In Mandarin): Sir, I do not quite agree with what the Minister has said in his reply to the Member for Bras Basah.

As we all know, our schools are built of incombustible materials, They are built of concrete and solid bricks, unlike Housing Board flats which are built of hollow bricks. If my memory is right, there is the requirement that a fire hose must be provided in every school. I do not mean that in every school floor there must be one fire prevention equipment but there should be one in the building.

Dr Ong Leong Boon (Kim Seng): Sir, will the Minister please consider a sustained and intensive national campaign of public education through schools, community centres, commercial enterprises, the press, radio and television, on the Dos and Don'ts of fire prevention and fire-fighting?

Mr Ho See Beng: Sir, the reason which led me to ask the question just now is that the Minister was so confident and proud of the fact that it is not fortuitous but by design that there have been no raging infernos in H DB flats. But the fact is, by his own admission, that fire still occurs in Housing Board flats. If this statement is not corrected, he may be giving misleading information to the public that the Housing Board flats are really fire-proof. They are not fire-proof.

Mr Lim Kim San: Sir, the fire that has occurred was due to human frailties. No matter how fire-proof a building is, fire can still occur as there may be children playing with matches or fire may occur due to acts of mischief. But the fact is that fire is contained in Housing Board flats. I am proud of the fact and I think we should all be proud of the fact ----- that during the last 16 years there has not been a raging fire in the 1 20,000 units of HDB flats. This is a tribute to the architects in the Housing Board who have designed to make the flats fire-proof.

Mr Ho See Beng: As the Minister has said, there is an element of human frailty.

Mr Ng Yeow Chong (Mountbatten): Sir, I want to stress to the Minister the importance of a sufficiency of fire hydrants in all housing estates. I wonder if there are sufficient fire hydrants in all HDB estates.

Encik Othman Bin Wok: Sir, in answer to the question by the Member for Mountbatten, the answer is "yes". I have stated that the fires which have occurred in Housing Board flats were all put out quickly because there are enough fire hydrants.

In answer to the question by the Member for Kim Seng, we will sustain the campaign on fire prevention. We have carried Out this campaign for many years at community centres and Housing Board estates. We also have a national campaign at the Victoria Memorial Hall a couple of years ago.