Steps to Tighten Oversight of Certification Body for Validity of Fire Safety Labels Issued

Mr Zhulkarnain Abdul Rahim asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) what steps will SCDF take to tighten oversight by the certification body entrusted to handle applications for doors to be certified fire-proof to ensure that fire safety labels are not abused; and (b) whether there are authentication tools, such as a unique QR code, on the fire safety labels or certifications for any party to verify the validity of the labels.

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) enhanced oversight over the Product Listing Scheme in 2020, when it introduced the Fire Safety (Regulated Fire Safety Products) Regulations. The Regulations set out the accountability of manufacturers, suppliers and the independent, accredited Certification Bodies (CBs).

Regulated fire safety products, which includes fire doors, must meet the requisite fire safety standards. Independent, accredited CBs are responsible for certifying that fire doors meet these standards and are provided with an appropriate fire safety label.

Suppliers or manufacturers of certified fire doors are required to provide proof of the fire door's intended installation location before CBs issue a label. The labels themselves are tamper-proof so that once affixed, they cannot be transferred to another item. CBs perform random site inspections to verify if the declared location of the fire door is accurate. Since 2022, the location of every newly-certified fire door and the accompanying fire safety label's serial number may be found on the respective CBs' online directory. This allows other parties, like premises owners, to confirm and also report any discrepancies.

The SCDF conducts annual audits of CBs to ensure that they uphold these protocols effectively.