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More cases of fallen windows this year

SINGAPORE — There were more cases of fallen windows this year according to statistics released yesterday by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

SINGAPORE — There were more cases of fallen windows this year according to statistics released yesterday by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB).

There were 41 cases in the first 11 months of this year, compared to 30 cases in the same period last year. Most of these were casement windows that became dislodged and had fallen due to corroded aluminium rivets, said the BCA and the HDB.

Since 2005, homeowners have been required to change the aluminium rivets of casement windows to stainless steel ones. This applies to windows in all residential units, except those in landed properties and the ground floor of buildings.

If homeowners fail to do so, they are committing an offence under the Building Control Act and can be fined up to S$5,000 and/or face a jail term of up to six months.

Also, if a window falls due to lack of maintenance, it is an offence under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act, and homeowners can face up to a maximum fine of S$10,000 and/or jail term of up to one year.

Given the latest figures, Pasir Ris-Punggol Town Council chairman Zainal Sapari told TODAY that he will be reminding residents of the safety regulations during house visits even though he has not heard of such cases reported by his town council.

“(BCA) has to do more spot checks to ensure the regulations are complied with,” he added.

To date, 78 people have been prosecuted and fined in court for failing to retrofit casement windows with stainless steel rivets. A total of 303 people have had their offences compounded and had to pay composition amounts for fallen windows.

For casement windows, homeowners are required to ensure that all rivets are made of stainless steel. They should also check that the fasteners are not rusty or loose, and regularly clean and lubricate joints or movable parts.

“It’s important to use a mirror to check the rivets on the underside and top of the window panel, to ensure they’re not corroded or loosened,” said BCA director (Special Functions Group) Lim Beng Kwee.

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