Penalty for Dislodged Air-conditioning Units
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the penalties for dislodged air-conditioning units, raised by Mr Gan Thiam Poh regarding prosecutions and the adequacy of current safety measures. Minister for National Development Lawrence Wong reported that three homeowners were issued composition fines under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act for falling units over the last five years. He noted that the Building and Construction Authority can issue improvement notices and that modern buildings feature concrete ledges or steel casings to enhance safety. Professional installation is mandatory under the Building Control Regulations, while Town Councils help disseminate maintenance information to residents to ensure compliance. Homeowners are advised to perform six-monthly inspections of their units and brackets to prevent accidents caused by corroded or loose parts.
Transcript
88 Mr Gan Thiam Poh asked the Minister for National Development (a) in the last five years, how many home owners have been prosecuted or penalised for their air-conditioners falling off from their flats due to improper maintenance; and (b) whether the current measures to protect a person's safety from falling air-conditioners is sufficient.
Mr Lawrence Wong: There have been three cases in the past five years where air-conditioners became dislodged and fell. As homeowners are responsible for the maintenance of their air-conditioning units and their accompanying installations, the homeowners in these cases were issued composition fines under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act (BMSMA).
Under the BMSMA, BCA can issue a Notice to homeowners to carry out improvement works to their air-conditioning units, should there be evidence of disrepair. This includes installations like the metal brackets holding the air-conditioning units in place. The Act also allows for errant homeowners to be issued composition fines or prosecuted.
To reduce the risk of incidents, new buildings are designed with concrete ledges or steel casings to hold the air-conditioning units. In addition, the installation of air-conditioning units on the building exterior can only be performed by trained installers. This is to ensure that the work complies with safety requirements and that it is carried out in the manner stipulated under the Building Control Regulations. MND also worked with Town Councils to disseminate flyers informing residents of their responsibilities for maintaining their air-conditioning units.
While the occurrence of falling air-conditioning units is rare, we cannot be complacent. The Government will continue to engage homeowners and remind them of the role that they play in creating a safe living environment. Homeowners should also carry out checks every six months to ensure that there are no loosened or corroded parts in their air-conditioning units, as well as in the installations that hold these units in place.