fsm briefing 2013 - scdf · certificate 1 1 failure to obtain fire safety certificate 13 44 2 1 60...
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FSM BRIEFING 2013
COMMON FIRE SAFETY NON-COMPLIANCES, SCDF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS & AMENDMENTS TO FSA
CPT NEO JIN XIANG
TEAM LEADER
ENFORCEMENT & PROSECUTION BRANCH
CENTRAL ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT
SCOPE OF PRESENTATION
Introduction
SCDF’s Fire Safety Enforcement Approach
State of Fire Safety in Our Buildings
Amendment to Fire Safety Act
Types of Fire Safety Non-Compliances
Case Studies
Conclusion
INTRODUCTION
To create a fire safe environment by enforcing the FSA and achieved
through
Scheduled fire safety checks
Responding to public feedback
Concerted joint efforts by SCDF, building managements, owners,
CERTs and FSMs
Types of Enforcement Checks
Non scheduled or complaints
Scheduled – attended by fire stations
Re-inspections
SCDF FIRE SAFETY APPROACH
Types of Enforcement Actions
Serving of notices via FHAN
Serving of fines via NOC and NFSO
Court actions
Commissioner Closure
Fire Hazard Order – Abatement, Prohibition and
Closure
FHAN NOC
COURT
CHARGE
FIRE
HAZARD
ORDER
SCDF FIRE SAFETY APPROACH
Types of Fire Safety Non-Compliances
Fire hazards
Fire safety violations
SCDF FIRE SAFETY APPROACH
SCDF issues FHAN
Fire hazard not addressed
Court Action
SCDF issues NOC
Fire hazard not addressed
SCDF’s Fire Safety Enforcement Regime
Violation found
SCDF FIRE SAFETY APPROACH
Fire Hazards Fire safety violations
SCDF issues NFSO
Violation not addressed
Court Action
Subsequent NFSOs
Violation not addressed
Breakdown of Fire Hazard Abatement Notices (FHAN) issued in Jan –
Jun 2013
STATE OF FIRE SAFETY IN OUR BUILDINGS
Offence Industrial Commercial PE Outlets Residential Others Total (Jan – Jun 13) Total (Jul – Dec 12)
Overcrowding 1 1 1 3 3
Obstruction (exits/ fire engine access)
95 71 5 25 8 204 281
Locked exits 1 1 2 1
Exit signs not illuminated 206 41 8 8 13 276 221
Storage of combustible / flammable material
45 11 13 1 70 140
Non-maintenance of fire – fighting equipment (hosereel/fire extinguisher)
88 18 4 3 8 121 128
Non-maintenance of fire alarm system
30 13 7 17 67 52
Storage along perimeter fencing 2 2 12
Poor housekeeping (storage within staircase/hosereel / risers, fire fighting lobby)
41 9 11 1 62 31
Failure to comply with SCDF guidelines for HDB Shopfront
2 1
Others (General fire hazards eg FD wedged opened, FD missing, fire door closure faulty, placement of items along 5-foot way etc)
149 59 6 63 7 284 341
Total 658 226 24 130 55 1093 1210
Breakdown of Notices of Fire Safety Offence (NFSO) issued in Jan –
Jun 2013
STATE OF FIRE SAFETY IN OUR BUILDINGS
Offence Industrial Commercial PE Outlets Residential Others Total (Jan – Jun 13) Total (Jul – Dec 12)
Change of use without approval 206 73 1 187 22 489 710
Carrying fire safety works without approval
196 75 1 14 4 290 304
Storage &/or transportation of Petroleum &/or Flammable Materials without licence
39 25 21 18 103 109
Occupied building without Fire Certificate
1 1
Failure to obtain Fire Safety Certificate
13 44 2 1 60 48
Unauthorised erection of LPG manifold system
4 113 117 33
Sales & supply of Petroleum & Flammable Materials
9 15 24 25
Non-compliance to Temporary Permit (TP) requirement
3 3 7
Others 22 39 1 59 121 116
Total 490 387 4 223 104 1208 1352
In retrospect
6205 fire safety inspections conducted in first half of 2013
1093 FHANs, 133 NOCs and 1208 NFSOs issued
Slight decrease in numbers of fire safety non-compliances as compared
to 2nd half of 2012
Increase in fires at commercial and industrial premises
STATE OF FIRE SAFETY IN OUR BUILDINGS
AMENDMENTS TO FIRE SAFETY ACT
(1) Enhancing Enforcement
Greater clarity on Commissioner’s Closure Order Powers against recalcitrant offenders Increasing fine quanta
(2) Enhancing Investigative Powers
Powers for fire investigation
(3) Improving Fire Safety Provisions
Emergency Response Plan (ERP) Company Emergency Response Team (CERT)
(4) Control of Petroleum and Flammable Materials (P&FM)
Regulation of pipelines Bottling of P&FM
(5) Powers for Marine Fire-Fighting and Rescue (MFFR)
Powers to carry out MFFR functions Powers for MFF charging
(6) Miscellaneous Amendments
Existing
Comr is currently empowered to issue a closure order in an emergency for a period up to 72 hours if: FHAN not complied with; and
the fire hazard to which the notice relates —
(a) constitutes an immediate or substantial danger of fire in or on the premises; or
(b) is likely, if fire breaks out in or on the premises, to increase the normal risk to life which occurs in the event of a fire, and
Safety of persons within the premises cannot be reasonably ensured by any other means.
Proposed
Provision has been refined so that closure orders can be effected when it is deemed necessary for the safety of persons to do so
ENHANCING FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT
Greater Clarity on Commissioner’s Closure Order
ENHANCING FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT
SCDF issues FHAN
Fire hazard not addressed
1. Comr may abate fire hazard
2. Comr’s Closure Order
3. Fire Hazard Order
SCDF issues NOC (up to $500)
Fire hazard not addressed
Existing Proposed
SCDF issues FHAN
Fire hazard not addressed
• SCDF issues NOC (up to $5000)
• Premises required to submit Fire
Hazard Mitigation Plan (FHMP)
Fire hazard not addressed
1. Comr may abate fire hazard
2. Comr’s Closure Order
3. Fire Hazard Order
SCDF’s Fire Safety Enforcement Regime
ENHANCING FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT
Increasing Fines Quanta
To increase fine quanta to serve as harsher penalties for offenders and to be in line with similar offences under the Building Control Act
Offences Current Proposed
Unauthorized fire
safety works
- Maximum ceiling $50,000
- Imprisonment up to 12 months
- Maximum ceiling $200,000
- Imprisonment up to 24 months
Failure to supervise
fire safety works
- Maximum ceiling $50,000
- Imprisonment up to 12 months
- Maximum ceiling $200,000
- Imprisonment up to 24 months
Non-compliance to
closure orders
- Maximum ceiling $10,000
- Imprisonment up to 6 months
- Maximum ceiling $100,000
- Imprisonment up to 12 months
Composition of
offences
- Fine up to $500 - Fine up to $5,000
Miscellaneous Amendments
Providing Comr flexibility to grant partial Fire Certificate (FC) to facilitate
continued operation for rectification works
Provision of communication system in specific buildings is stipulated in
the Fire Code
To regularise, as such a system constitutes part of fire safety measures,
definition of ‘fire safety measures’ amended to include means of
communication to facilitate evacuation and fire fighting
ENHANCING FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT
Miscellaneous Amendments
Fire Safety Engineers (FSE)
At present, Comr can constitute an Inquiry Committee (IC) only when he
receives any written complaint against FSE
Comr will be given the flexibility to constitute IC at his discretion to
consider disciplinary actions against FSE
Comr also need not be bound by the findings and recommendations of
IC in taking disciplinary action against FSE
Another amendment is to give Comr the powers to exempt applicants
from certain prescribed practical and academic qualifications
ENHANCING FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT
Non-maintenance of fire fighting provisions
EXAMPLES OF FIRE HAZARDS
Non-maintenance of fire fighting provisions
EXAMPLES OF FIRE HAZARDS
Obstruction to means of escape
EXAMPLES OF FIRE HAZARDS
Overcrowding
EXAMPLES OF FIRE HAZARDS
FIRE SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Fire safety violations
Contravention to requirements in FSA and its regulations
Storage or mismanagement of Petroleum and Flammable
Material
Carry out fire safety works without approval
Change of use of premises
EXAMPLES OF FIRE SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Unlicensed Storage of P and FM
EXAMPLES OF FIRE SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Unauthorised Fire Safety Works
EXAMPLES OF FIRE SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Unauthorised Fire Safety Works
EXAMPLES OF FIRE SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Unauthorised Change of Use
EXAMPLES OF FIRE SAFETY VIOLATIONS
Unauthorised Foreign Worker Dormitories
Unfolding of Events
On 30 April 13 at 1046 hrs, SCDF Ops centre received multiple calls for case of
warehouse on fire at 15 Link Road
12 SCDF appliances despatched to location
Fire well alight at 2 industrial units at 11 and 15 Link Road and spread to roof of 17 Link
Road
Fire put out after 3 hr, damages to contents of units 11, 15 and 17 Link Road
Units 9 and 19 Link Road sustained heat and smoke damages
CASE STUDY – FIRE AT 15 LINK ROAD
CASE STUDY – FIRE AT 15 LINK ROAD
Fire Safety Inspection Findings
Preliminary findings at No. 9, 11, 15, 17, 19 and 21 Link Road revealed fire safety violations
such as:
Increased fire risk due to unauthorised P and FM (Diesel tanks, Acetylene cylinders)
Unauthorised structures at rear of units added difficulty in effective approach and fire
fighting
Unauthorised dormitories placing occupants at undue fire risks
Unfolding of Events
On 21 May 2013 @ 2313 hrs, SCDF Ops Centre received multiple calls for case of
warehouse on fire at 37 Tuas Basin Link, Lam Thong Corporation Pte Ltd
16 emergency appliances despatched
Fire put out after 1 hr, total damage to factory building
Post fire investigation revealed fire safety non-compliances including Increased fire risk due to unlicensed storage of P and FM (Toluene, Ethyl Acetate and
Isopropyl Alcohol)
Storage of combustible material along driveway hindered fire fighting operations
Unauthorised platform in storage area added difficulty to effective fire fighting
Enforcement actions taken against operator
CASE STUDY – 37 TUAS BASIN LINK FIRE
Staff and public placed under added fire risks
Potential fire spread to neighbouring units
Operation halted and revenue losses
Inspections carried out at errant premises entails stern enforcement
actions
Building owners responsible in ensuring fire safety standards within
buildings
FSMs to assist building owners in policing fire safety
CONCLUSION
Good Fire Safety Standards
MCST FSM
SCDF
THANK YOU
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