Safety Standards in Case of EV or EV Charger Fires at HDB Car Parks
Ministry of National DevelopmentSpeakers
Summary
This question concerns the fire safety standards for electric vehicles (EVs) and charging points in HDB car parks, as raised by Ms Yeo Wan Ling. Minister of State Alvin Tan stated that car parks comply with SCDF Fire Codes, including provisions for ventilation and fire engine access. He clarified that all chargers must meet Technical Reference 25 requirements and that SCDF works with community groups to enhance emergency response awareness. Minister of State Alvin Tan also highlighted that the Land Transport Authority and SCDF regularly review safety protocols through a multi-agency EV Battery Safety Taskforce. These measures ensure that standards are enforced and updated to manage fire risks as EV adoption increases nationwide.
Transcript
12 Ms Yeo Wan Ling asked the Minister for National Development with the roll-out of more electric vehicle (EV) charging points in HDB car parks and the proliferation of EVs, what measures are put in place to ensure that HDB car parks adhere to safety standards in the case of electric fires from EVs and EV chargers.
The Minister of State for National Development (Mr Alvin Tan) (for the Minister for National Development): Sir, all Housing and Development Board (HDB) car parks are designed and constructed in compliance with the prevailing Fire Code stipulated by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).
This includes provisions such as hose reels, fire engine access and natural or mechanical ventilation to disperse smoke and heat. These fire safety provisions safeguard against fire risks, including those that may arise from electric vehicles (EVs).
All EV chargers installed in HDB car parks must comply with the technical specifications and safety requirements under the Technical Reference 25, which is the nation-wide standard governing EV charging systems in Singapore.
Mr Speaker: Ms Yeo.
Ms Yeo Wan Ling (Punggol): Thank you, Speaker. Could the Minister of State elaborate on the specific fire safety protocols in place for HDB car parks with EV charging points, including detection, suppression and evacuation measures?
And additionally, as EV adoption grows, how will standards be regularly reviewed and enforced, and whether there are plans to equip our neighbourhood, SCDF's and emergency response teams, which may include grassroots organisations like the People's Association's Community Emergency and Engagement (C2E), or even SCDF's First Responders with enhanced capabilities or training to respond appropriately to EV-related fire incidents? I do note that the risk may be quite different from normal cooking or lighted cigarette fires, which our grassroots organisations are more used to.
Mr Alvin Tan: Sir, I have answered the Member's questions specific to HDB car parks. Specifically, I think, with the provision of hose reels, fire engine access, natural and mechanical ventilations that will help in the event of a fire, and that the HDB carparks must comply with these technical specifications and safety requirements under Technical Reference 25.
I would also like to point her, if she has further questions with regard to overall EV fire safety and fire safety as a whole, to the Ministry of Home Affairs' replies in Parliament on the matter. But I would say, and as the Member knows, that SCDF works with the community to raise general awareness on fire safety. That includes working with first responders, People's Association's C2E and other community groups.
The Land Transport Authority and SCDF also regularly review these fire safety requirements to support the overall adoption of EV in Singapore through their multi-agency EV Battery Safety Taskforce.