SINGAPORE – All scaffold netting used outside buildings must be fire-retardant from 2027 to reduce fire risks at worksites, said Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash on Sept 24.
This rule will apply to projects awarded from March 1, 2027, regardless of the material used for the scaffold.
Dinesh added that the scaffold netting must be assessed in accordance with established international fire test standards that are relevant to Singapore’s environment, as identified by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.
The new measure is part of recent efforts to reduce fire risks at construction sites here after a deadly fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in November 2025 killed 168 people.
The Singapore Government said in January that it was reviewing early findings from Hong Kong’s probe into the fire and studying whether worksite and residential building maintenance regulations here need to be strengthened.
In July, the authorities shortened the duration scaffolds made of timber can be used from nine months to three months. This rule, which takes effect from January 2027, seeks to reduce the amount of combustible timber materials at construction sites and to address concerns about the deterioration of timber over time.
A circular outlining the scope of the new requirements for scaffold netting, acceptable fire test standards and compliance measures, including labelling and certification requirements, will be issued by MOM, said Dinesh. Details will be available on MOM’s website.
In a separate fact sheet on Sept 24, the ministry said fire-retardant scaffold netting must also be certified by certification bodies accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council from March 1, 2028.
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