FIRE REGULATIONS FOR HDB FLATS

Mr J.B. Jeyaretnam asked the Minister for National Development

(a) if he will (i) give the number of fires that have broken out in Housing and Development Board apartments over the last ten years - year by year; (ii) state the main cause or causes of these outbreaks of fires; and (iii) say whether the HDB has any plans or measures to prevent the outbreak of fires in HDB apartments and to ensure adequately the safety of the residents in HDB apartments; and (b) does he not think that the HDB should be required to comply with the fire regulations in the new apartments that are being built.

Mr Teh Cheang Wan: (a) The number of fie outbreaks in HDB apartments that had been reported to the HDB in the last four years are as follows:

______________________________________________ | | Fire outbreaks in HDB Apartments | | |____________________________| | Year | | % of flats under | | | No. | management | ||_______|| | | | | | 1982 | 53 | 0.013% | | | | | | 1983 | 65 | 0.015% | | | | | | 1984 | 42 | 0.008% | | | | | | 1985 | 48 | 0.009% | |(up to | | | |Sep 85) | | | |||_______________________| Figures before 1982 are not available as the HDB does not keep these statistics.

The outbreak of fire in HDB apartments is due mainly to the negligence or carelessness of residents. The main causes of fire are the use of faulty gas appliances, unauthorised electrical extensions,storage of combustible materials in the flat, leaving lighted gas stoves unattended, children playing with matches and the throwing of lighted cigarette butts out of the window into the flat below. In view of this,the HDB has concentrated on creating a greater sense of fire safety consciousness among residents. Home safety and fire prevention exhibitions are regularly organized jointly with the Singapore Fire Service and grassroots organizations in HDB estates. Fire prevention messages are also incorporated in Residents Handbook and from time to time in HDB's "Our Home" magazine.

In addition, the HDB exercises strict control over renovations and alterations to flats. Works which are likely to increase the risk of fire are strictly prohibited.

(b) The HDB has been exempted since 1960 from submitting building plans to the Building Control Division. This, however, does not mean that HDB's buildings do not comply with fire safety requirements for highrise dwelling units. The HDB buildings are designed according to different stringent fire safety standards. For example, the layout of lobbies and staircases allows smoke to disperse quickly. Design features together with the use of non-combustible building materials prevent the spread of fire from one flat to another.

Despite the large number of HDB flats housing 82% of the total population, the outbreak of fire in HDB buildings has been extremely rare. In every case, the fire has been confined to the unit itself. This speaks for the fire safety standards adopted by the HDB.