Fire Safety Manager

Course
COMMON FIRE SAFETY NON-COMPLIANCES
AND SCDF ENFORCEMENT ACTIONS
ENFORCEMENT & PROSECUTION BRANCH

30 Jun 2016
CENTRAL ENFORCEMENT DEPARTMENT
 USEFUL CONTACTS

SSO Fire Safety & Shelter Enforcement

DID: 6848 1437

Team Leader Fire Safety and Shelter Enforcement

DID: 6848 1409

Team Leader Fire Safety and Shelter Enforcement

DID: 6848 1806

SCDF Fire Safety Feedback Channel

Email: [email protected]
 FIRE SAFETY MANAGER COURSE
SCDF Fire Safety Feedback Mobile Application

SCDF Fire Safety Feedback mobile application for Apple and

Android users
Provide public convenient avenue to provide fire safety related
feedback
SCDF can act effectively based on photos and info provided
 Scope of Presentation
Introduction
Enforcement Framework
Enforcement Statistics
Types of fire safety non-compliances
SCDF’s Enforcement approach
Roles of Fire Safety Managers
Main challenges faced
Collaboration with building managements
Lessons learnt
Introduction

CONFIDENTIAL
SCDF regulates fire safety to attain a fire-safe built
environment
▪ Formulates fire safety policies
▪ Implements fire safety standards
▪ Partnering the industry players to improve on regulatory
systems
▪ Maintains an effective regulatory regime that works well for
the country
Enforcement Framework

CONFIDENTIAL
BRANCH STRUCTURE

AD Enforcement

Feedback SSO FSS SSO Prosecution

Officer Enforcement and Appeals

Fines Management
Officer
Team leader Team Leader
(1st and 4th Div) (2nd and 3th Div)

Snr EnfSpecialist & Enf Specialist

X2 X2 X2 X2 X2 X2
ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM

Work shift and Coverage

Teams from Central Enforcement Department acting on feedbacks

Fire stations conduct active scheduled checks to buildings within their

boundary

1st and 4th Div

Boundaries 2nd and 3rd Div
Boundaries
To create a fire safe environment by enforcing the
FSA and achieved through
Scheduled fire safety checks
Responding to public feedback
Concerted efforts by SCDF, building management and
FSMs
FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS

Roles of Enforcement and Prosecution Branch (CED)

Enforce the Provisions in FSA

Abate Fire Hazards
Propagate Fire Safety Awareness
FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS

Functions of Enforcement and Prosecution Branch (CED)

To attend to fire safety complaints/ feedback

To detect existence of fire hazards and fire safety non-
compliances
To carry out physical enforcement exercises eg.
seizure, removal, closure, etc
 FIRE SAFETY MANAGER COURSE
FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT ACTION

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
FIRE
COURT HAZARD
CHARGE ORDER
NOC
FHAN
 Fire Safety Enforcement Action
Violation found

Fire Hazards Fire safety violations

SCDF issues FHAN SCDF issues NFSO

Fire hazard not addressed Violation not addressed

SCDF issues NOC Subsequent NFSOs

Fire hazard not addressed Violation not addressed

Court Action Court Action

Enforcement Statistics

CONFIDENTIAL
 Enforcement Checks
Yr 2016
15,291 Non-scheduled Inspection Scheduled Inspection

TOTAL
ENFORCEMENT
CHECKS

4290

11001
 Enforcement Checks

16,165

13,252
11,983 12,832
11,401
15,291
13,903
13,192
11,868 11,570

2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

• Increased the awareness of the importance of fire safety

Enforcement Notices

NFSOs Issued 2,776

FHANs Issued
2,887
 Notice of Fire Safety Offence
4000

3500

3000

2500

2000
3748

1500 3069
2776
2403
1000

500

0
Yr 2013 Yr 2014 Yr 2015 Yr 2016
Top three types of NFSOs issued

1873

2015

2016
1296
1209

945

208 205

Unauthorised change of use Unauthorised fire safety works Storage/transportation of petroleum/flammable

materials without licence
 BREAKDOWN OF NFSO ISSUED IN 2016

Public
Industrial Commercial
Offence Entertainment Residential Others Remarks
Premises Premises
Outlets

Change of use 626 134 1 522 13 1296

Carrying fire safety works

498 156 4 276 11 945
without approval
Storage &/or transportation of
Petroleum &/or Flammable
108 26 58 13 205
Materials
without licence
Occupied building without Fire
16 5 21
Certificate

Failure to obtain Fire Safety

37 52 2 3 94
Certificate

Unauthorised erection of LPG

2 50 8 60
manifold system

Sales & supply of Petroleum &

23 8 4 35
Flammable Materials

Non-compliance to Temporary
2 8 10
Permit (TP) requirement

Others 24 13 1 72 110

Total 1334 441 7 862 132 2776

 Fire Hazard Abatement Notice
3500

3000

2500

2000

3348
3149
1500
2887

2303
1000

500

0
Yr 2013 Yr 2014 Yr 2015 Yr 2016
Top three types of FHAN issued

2015 2016

724

653

548

458 471
440

Exit signs not being illuminated Non-maintenance of fire-fighting equipment Obstruction to fire safety measures (eg.
(hosereel/fire extinguisher) hosereel/fire extinguisher/alarm panel)
 BREAKDOWN OF FHAN ISSUED IN 2016

Offence Industrial Commercial Public Residential Others Remarks

Premises Premises Entertainment
Outlets
Overcrowding 1 1 2
Obstruction (exits/fire
222 86 9 78 8 403
engine accessway)
Obstruction (hosereel/
fire extinguisher/ alarm 259 119 3 48 11 440
panel/ call point)
Locked exits 2 4 6
Exit signs not illuminated 435 229 19 20 21 724
Storage of combustible /
117 34 36 5 192
flammable material
Non-maintenance of fire –
fighting equipment
310 214 7 5 12 548
(hosereel/fire
extinguisher)
Non-maintenance of fire
86 45 1 22 39 193
alarm system
Storage along perimeter
4 4
fencing
Poor housekeeping
(storage within
90 17 1 6 2 116
staircase/hosereel / risers,
fire fighting lobby)
Others (General fire
hazards eg FD wedged
opened, FD missing, fire 42 43 3 166 5 259
door closure faulty, workers
dormitory@residential etc)
Total 1568 792 43 381 103 2887
STATE OF FIRE SAFETY IN OUR BUILDINGS

15,291 fire safety inspections conducted in 2016

2,887 FHANs, 378 NOC and 2,776 NFSOs
issued
Types of Fire Safety Non-Compliances
(Fire Hazards)

CONFIDENTIAL
 FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS

Actions against fire hazard offenders

1st time – Issue Fire Hazard Abatement Notice
(warning)
2nd time – Issue Notice of Composition ($300)
3rd time – Issue Notice of Composition ($500)
4th time – Issue Notice of Composition ($1000)
5th time – Issue Notice of Composition ($2000)
6th time – CourtAction
FIRE
COURT HAZARD
CHARGE ORDER
NOC
FHAN

2007 2009 2011

 Fire Hazard
Any matter or circumstances which materially increase the
likelihood of fire or the danger to life or property that
would result from the outbreak of fire and includes
Obstruction to means of escape
Obstruction to fire safety measures
Non-maintenance of fire safety measures
Missing / removal of fire safety measures
Overcrowding
Storage of combustible material
 Common Fire Hazard
▪ Obstruction to means of escape
 Common Fire Hazard
▪ Obstruction to fire safety measures
 Common Fire Hazard
▪ Non-maintenance of fire safety measures
 Common Fire Hazard
▪ Missing / removal of fire safety measures
 Common Fire Hazard
▪ Overcrowding
 Common Fire Hazard
▪ Storage / Placement of combustible material
 Common Fire Hazard
False Alarm / Malfunction
‘The boy who cried wolf’
Occupants becoming complacent to frequent false alarm
activations
Hampers evacuation process
 Common Fire Hazard
False Alarm/ Malfunction
Servicing of fire alarm system i.e. heat/ smoke detectors,
sprinkler systems
Isolating zone during construction work and re-arming alarm
system once work completed for the day
Need to ensure zone fully monitored for fire/ incident during
temporary isolation
Types of Fire Safety Non-Compliances
(Fire Safety Offence)

CONFIDENTIAL
 Fire Safety Offence
Contravention to requirements in Fire Safety Act and its
regulations
Storage or mismanagement of Petroleum and Flammable
Material (P&FM)
Carrying out fire safety works without approval of plans
Change the use of premises
 FIRE SAFETY ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS

Actions against fire safety offence

1st time – Issue Notice of Fire Safety Offence ($100-300)
2nd time – Issue Notice of Fire Safety Offence ($300-500)
3rd time – Issue Notice of Fire Safety Offence ($1000)
4th time – Issue Notice of Fire Safety Offence ($2000)
5th time – CourtAction
 Common Fire Safety Offence
▪ Change the use of premises

School -> Clinic

 Common Fire Safety Offence
▪ Change the use of premises
 Common Fire Safety Offence
▪ Fire Safety Works without approval of plans

Internal Partition Diesel Tank LPG Manifold System

Shelter Mezzanine Mechanical Ventilation

 Common Fire Safety Offence
▪ Storage of P&FM without a valid storage license
 Common Fire Safety Offence
▪ Unauthorized Dormitory
SCDF’s Enforcement Approach

CONFIDENTIAL
Fire safety non-compliances
Enforcement action taken against property owner or
management council
Consistent with private and government buildings e.g.
Town councils, MCSTs, managing agents, etc
Roles of Fire Safety Managers

CONFIDENTIAL
FSM’s responsibilities
Train occupants in first aid, fire fighting and
evacuation
Prepare and implement ERP(Emergency Response
Plan) and APP(Arson Prevention Plan)
Conduct at least 2 TTXs, fire drills and emergency
exercises annually
FSM’s responsibilities
Oversee maintenance of fire safety systems
Liaise with SCDF on matters relating to fire safety
Notify SCDF immediately of fire incidents in premises
Conduct daily checks and remove any fire hazard
found within the premises
Main challenges faced

CONFIDENTIAL
 MAIN CHALLENGES FACED

Challenges faced during fire safety checks

Uncooperative building management
Increasing frequency of refused entries in premises or
reluctance in providing information required by SCDF
Ineffective efforts against fire safety non-compliances
 POWERS WITHIN FIRE SAFETY ACT

General powers of entry (FSA Section 8)

SCDF officers vested with powers of entry to any premises for
fire safety inspections

Obstructing authorised persons in execution of their duty (FSA

Section 44)
Refuse entry or access, obstruct, refuses or neglects to
provide information to SCDF officers conducting inspection
ANYONE guilty of offence liable for conviction of $10,000 and/
or 6 months jail term
Collaboration with Building
Managements

CONFIDENTIAL
THE DILEMMA OF BUILDING MANAGEMENTS

MCSTs lament that they face ‘difficulties’ when

dealing with fire hazards committed by strata
proprietors (SP)
Very ‘troublesome’ to take action
Strata proprietors/ tenants are customers and friends
and ‘not nice’ to antagonise them
Fire hazards committed by third party, why take
action against building management?
Lack of enforcement powers
WHAT MCST CAN DO?

Enforcement powers within Building Maintenance

and Strata Management (BMSM) Act 2004 against
fire hazards committed in common areas
Section 32 allows MCST to pass additional bylaws to
enhance enforcement powers during AGM or EGM
Seek assistance from SCDF ONLY IF all reasonable
means have been exhausted
Lessons Learnt

CONFIDENTIAL
POSITIVE SIGN

Building owners stepping forward to engage SCDF to help in

alleviating fire hazards and validate ERP
SCDF welcomes such initiative and look forward to more
building owners taking proactive measures towards fire safety
Envisage that all building managements do their best while
SCDF provides advice and necessary enforcement muscles
LESSONS LEARNT

Public placed in danger

Danger of fire risk to neighbouring units
Extensive damage to properties and loss in revenue
Inspections carried out at errant premises entails
stern enforcement actions
CONCLUSION

Building owners responsible in ensuring fire safety

standards within buildings
Dilemma between investing in good fire safety
standards and maximising profit margins can be
overcome

Good Fire Safety

Standards

MCST
FSM

SCD
F
Q&A

CONFIDENTIAL 60/<34>
Thank you

CONFIDENTIAL