Fire Safety Measures in Commercial and Residential Buildings

Mr Patrick Tay Teck Guan asked the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Home Affairs in view of the death of two private security officers at Marina Bay Suites (a) whether there are fire safety and security requirements for such commercial and residential buildings and, if so, whether the Ministry will review them; and (b) whether there are regulations in place to ensure that personnel looking after these buildings, such as private security officers and building custodians, are equipped with the necessary personal protection equipment, skills and training to handle fires and other similar incidents.

First of all, I would like to offer my deepest condolences to the families of the two deceased security officers. Investigations, led by the Police and SCDF, are currently underway into how the two security

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officers died in the fire at Marina Bay Suites. We are, therefore, not able to provide specific details on this incident.

In any case, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) sets fire safety standards for all buildings in Singapore under the Code of Practice for Fire Precautions in Buildings (the "Fire Code" in short). All new buildings are required to comply with the Fire Code. Existing buildings are also required to comply with the requirements of the Fire Code when they undergo addition and alteration works.

The Fire Code requires high-rise residential buildings that are more than 40 storeys high, such as the Marina Bay Suites, to have refuge floors, or safe holding areas, at intervals of not more than 20 storeys; at least two fire-protected exit staircases to facilitate evacuation; and fire lifts and fire-fighting lobbies, which are protected by fire-rated doors and walls, to support fire-fighting and rescue operations. The Fire Code is reviewed regularly in consultation with stakeholders.

To enhance fire safety standards, the Fire Safety Act requires Fire Safety Managers (FSMs) to be appointed for large public and industrial buildings but not for residential premises. These FSMs are responsible for assisting building owners to formulate, exercise and execute the emergency response plans for the buildings under their charge. The Fire Safety Act, which was reviewed in 2013, further mandates the formation of Company Emergency Response Teams, or CERTs, to promote greater ownership in the safety of such premises.

Security officers employed by building owners/operators are usually members of CERTs, and are required under the Workforce Skills Qualification (WSQ) framework to complete two compulsory licensing modules before they can be deployed for duty. They are taught the handling of fire-related incidents in one of the modules. The lessons do not cover the use of personal protection equipment, which is usually not required in the residential domain.

Upon completion of the fire investigations, the security Industry Skills and Training Council (ISTC), which administers the WSQ framework and comprises key stakeholders, such as the Police, SCDF and WDA, will review the findings and assess if there is a need to enhance the relevant provisions and training for security officers to respond safely to fire incidents within buildings.

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