{"id":18464,"date":"2025-12-10T20:59:09","date_gmt":"2025-12-10T12:59:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=18464"},"modified":"2025-12-10T20:59:09","modified_gmt":"2025-12-10T12:59:09","slug":"welding-at-construction-sites-must-be-kept-away-from-screening-nets-for-fire-safety-scdf-mom","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/?p=18464","title":{"rendered":"Welding at construction sites must be kept away from screening nets for fire safety: SCDF, MOM"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SINGAPORE \u2013 <!-- -->Welding at construction sites must be kept at least 3m away from screening nets as a fire safety measure, said the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) and the Ministry of Manpower (MOM). <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Otherwise, such nets must be shielded from welding and other \u201chot works\u201d with non-combustible material.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The<!-- --> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/opinion\/forum\/forum-singapore-studying-lessons-from-hong-kongs-wang-fuk-court-fire?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">reply <\/p>\n<p><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/opinion\/forum\/forum-singapore-studying-lessons-from-hong-kongs-wang-fuk-court-fire?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">in The Straits Times Forum page<\/p>\n<p><\/a> on Dec 10 was in response to a letter written by a reader on Dec 1 over the recent fire at Wang Fuk Court in the New Territories in Hong Kong.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The fire, which<!-- --> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/asia\/east-asia\/hong-kong-nears-end-of-search-and-rescue-mission-as-tower-fire-toll-rises-to-128?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">engulfed seven of the eight 31-storey residential blocks<\/p>\n<p><\/a>, claimed at least 160 lives in what is reportedly the city\u2019s deadliest blaze since 1948.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Hong Kong authorities subsequently said that parts of the mesh on the building scaffolding to catch debris did not meet fire-safety standards. Foam boards used to protect windows during renovation were also highly flammable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/opinion\/forum\/forum-flammable-facade-wraps-pose-serious-fire-risks?ref=inline-article\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" class=\"gap-x-04 items-center inline text-primary-60 select-auto\" aria-label=\"link\" target=\"_blank\" data-testid=\"custom-link\"><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular inline\" data-testid=\"paragraph-test-id\">In his forum letter<\/p>\n<p><\/a>, <!-- -->Mr Solomon Tan Kia Tang warned that the extensive use of fabric netting, tarpaulin and canvas sheets on local worksites remains a serious and underestimated fire hazard.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">He also highlighted the increasing use of canvas sheets as noise-dampening barriers, which may inadvertently raise fire risks if installed near hot works, temporary or confined spaces.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Replying to the concerns raised, SCDF Assistant Commissioner Ryan Ong, director of fire safety department, and Mr Sebastian Tan, director of occupational safety and health inspectorate at MOM, said the authorities are studying lessons from the deadly fire at Wang Fuk Court in Hong Kong. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The housing complex in Tai Po district was undergoing major repairs, for which bamboo scaffolding was erected and wrapped with construction safety nets when the fire broke out on Nov 26.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Hong Kong fire: Video shows early moments and how rapidly it spread\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/MieSoazgLAM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">SCDF and MOM said they will see if further enhancements are needed for Singapore\u2019s fire safety framework.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">In their letter, they noted that residential flats in Singapore are designed with fire-rated walls and floors, forming compartments that can contain a fire within each unit. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cMaterials used for facades must meet stringent fire safety standards to limit fire spread. Common corridors, exit staircases and lift lobbies are ventilated to dissipate heat and smoke. Buildings are installed with hose reels and rising mains to facilitate firefighting operations,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The agencies added that any construction or alteration works must be approved by the authorities. On site, welding and other hot works must be kept clear of coverings, while screening nets cannot obstruct ventilation or escape routes.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cHoardings that separate occupied areas from areas undergoing building works, such as fences, must be made of non-combustible materials,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The agencies<!-- --> <!-- -->stressed that there are already strict rules governing facade materials, construction practices and on-site fire-risk controls.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">They also said that professional engineers and registered architects must regularly inspect worksites to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements. MOM conducts its own checks while BCA and HDB audit projects to ensure that structural elements meet fire-resistance standards. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">Non-compliance can lead to penalties or work suspensions,<!-- --> <!-- -->they added.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">The agencies said they continually review their fire safety standards and requirements, and learn from international best practices. <\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cResidents also play a key role in fire prevention by avoiding unsafe practices, like leaving cooking and lighted materials unattended, and charging devices without supervision. Home owners are encouraged to install home fire alarm devices,\u201d they said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"font-body-baseline-regular text-primary\" data-testid=\"article-paragraph-annotation-test-id\">\u201cWe are studying lessons learnt from the Wang Fuk Court fire to further enhance our fire safety framework as necessary. Nevertheless, public vigilance is still necessary as no regulatory regime can completely eliminate the risk of fires,\u201d they added.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"tags-test-id\">\n<p><button data-testid=\"button-test-id\" class=\"layer-one border-default border interactive-button text-primary disabled:layer-disabled hover:disabled:layer-disabled default\" aria-label=\"button for Fire safety rules\"><span class=\"font-button-md-semibold\">Fire safety rules<\/span><\/button><button data-testid=\"button-test-id\" class=\"layer-one border-default border interactive-button text-primary disabled:layer-disabled hover:disabled:layer-disabled default\" aria-label=\"button for Fires\"><span class=\"font-button-md-semibold\">Fires<\/span><\/button><button data-testid=\"button-test-id\" class=\"layer-one border-default border interactive-button text-primary disabled:layer-disabled hover:disabled:layer-disabled default\" aria-label=\"button for Construction sector\"><span class=\"font-button-md-semibold\">Construction sector<\/span><\/button><button data-testid=\"button-test-id\" class=\"layer-one border-default border interactive-button text-primary disabled:layer-disabled hover:disabled:layer-disabled default\" aria-label=\"button for SCDF\"><span class=\"font-button-md-semibold\">SCDF<\/span><\/button><button data-testid=\"button-test-id\" class=\"layer-one border-default border interactive-button text-primary disabled:layer-disabled hover:disabled:layer-disabled default\" aria-label=\"button for Ministry of Manpower\"><span class=\"font-button-md-semibold\">Ministry of Manpower<\/span><\/button><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><br \/>\n<br \/><a href=\"https:\/\/www.straitstimes.com\/singapore\/welding-at-construction-sites-must-be-kept-away-from-screening-nets-for-fire-safety-scdf-mom\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read Full Article At Source <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>SINGAPORE \u2013 Welding at construction sites must be kept at least 3m away from screening nets as a fire safety measure, said the Singapore Civil&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":18466,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2611],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18464","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-buzz-headlines","wpcat-2611-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18464","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=18464"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18464\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/18466"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=18464"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=18464"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sgbuzz.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=18464"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}