24 cases of dislodged facades reported yearly on average, 30,000 buildings to be inspected: Desmond Lee

SINGAPORE — Over the past five years, an average of 24 cases of dislodged facades were reported to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) each year, said National Development Minister Desmond Lee on Tuesday (Sept 14).

In a written reply to a parliamentary question filed by Member of Parliament (MP) for Radin Mas Melvin Yong, Mr Lee added that buildings that are above 20 years old and 13m in height — roughly four storeys — will undergo periodic facade inspections starting early next year.

The inspections must be conducted by trained personnel every seven years, with the BCA conducting regular reviews to ensure public safety, Mr Lee added.

In a response to a separate question by Sengkang Group Representation Constituency MP Louis Chua over the number and frequency of facade inspections, Mr Lee added that about 30,000 buildings will be required to undergo checks within the first seven-year inspection cycle.

This comes after an incident on Aug 22 where a 40m-long concrete sunshade on an industrial building rooftop in Bedok dislodged and fell.

Mr Yong had asked what caused the incident, and whether there was a need to review the facade inspection process for non-residential buildings.

Following the incident, the BCA directed the owner of the building, JTC, to engage a professional engineer to carry out a detailed investigation and recommend permanent rectification works, Mr Lee said.

As a safety precaution, the professional engineer will also inspect other adjacent blocks in the area with similar features.

“Investigations are currently ongoing and are expected to be completed by end September 2021,” said Mr Lee in his response.