Industrial Fire Trends and Spot Checks to Ensure Compliance to Safety Measures

10 Ms Joan Pereira asked the Minister for Home Affairs (a) how many industrial fires have there been in the past three years; (b) what is the frequency of SCDF's spot checks on factories and warehouses to ensure that they comply with fire safety measures; and (c) how many infringements have been detected in the past three years.

The Senior Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Home Affairs (Ms Sun Xueling) (for the Minister for Home Affairs): Mr Speaker, between 2015 and 2017, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) attended to about 150 industrial fires on average each year. Of these, about five each year required prolonged operations by SCDF to put out.

SCDF conducts fire safety inspection of industrial premises regularly to check if fire safety measures, such as sprinklers, fire alarms and exit signs, have been properly maintained. SCDF also checks for infringements that could compromise the fire safety of the building and its occupants. These include obstructions to escape routes, overcrowding, unauthorised fire safety works and unauthorised change of use.

In the past three years, SCDF conducted about 10,000 fire safety inspections each year on industrial premises. Enforcement action was taken in about 3,200 cases each year. Fire hazard abatement notices were issued for less serious infringements. For more serious infringements, composition fines were issued. SCDF also prosecuted about 30 industrial premises each year for very serious infringements or recalcitrant non-compliance. In all the cases, the infringements were rectified after SCDF’s enforcement actions.

Mr Speaker: Ms Joan Pereira.

Ms Joan Pereira (Tanjong Pagar): I thank the Senior Parliamentary Secretary for her reply. I have a supplementary question. I was wondering whether there is a ratio on the number of factory staff to be trained as firefighters, versus the size of a factory floor area. I am asking this because having trained fire safety staff will ensure that there are sufficient first responders who can be equipped or who are equipped to react to a fire outbreak quickly.

Ms Sun Xueling: I thank the Member for her supplementary question. Industrial premises are required to appoint a fire safety manager (FSM) if they accommodate 1,000 or more occupants, or if their floor area is 5,000 square metres (sqm) or more.

Today, more than 85% of industrial premises are required to appoint an FSM. For very large industrial premises, however, the FSM must be a senior fire safety manager. Large industrial premises are defined as those that have a floor area of 50,000 sqm or more; or have a basement storey with floor areas of 10,000 sqm or more; or that is 31 storeys or more in height, including any basement. A senior fire safety manager is required to have at least three years' experience as an FSM and may be required to hold other relevant fire safety qualifications, depending on the risk nature of his particular premises.

The Member had mentioned first responders. Under the Fire Safety Act, all industrial premises that accommodate 1,000 or more occupants, or have a floor area of 5,000 sqm or more, and any company storing more than five metric tonnes of petroleum and flammable materials are required to form a company emergency response team (CERT). CERT members are trained in firefighting, rescue and first aid, and are the first responders to fight the fire before SCDF arrives. To operate as a team, CERT comprises six members at the minimum. Larger or riskier premises should consider having a larger CERT.