Written answer by Ministry of National Development on review of guidelines on panels and attachments to buildings given stronger winds from more extreme weather conditions

Oct 14, 2024

Question No: 6605

Question by: Ms Joan Pereira

To ask the Minister for National Development in view of stronger winds expected from more extreme weather conditions (a) whether the Ministry will review the regulations on panels and other attachments to buildings; and (b) how will safety checks and enforcements of such panels and attachments be enhanced.

Answer:

The Building Control Act and Regulations set out the requirements for the structural design and installation of cladding works, including panels and their attachments. These requirements have taken into account wind loads and other environmental factors to minimise dislodgements.

Under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act (BMSMA), building owners are required to maintain the exterior features of their buildings. The government also introduced the Periodic Façade Inspection (PFI) regime in January 2022, which requires inspection of certain older buildings once every 7 years. This provides early detection of deteriorating façade materials and connections. To date, more than 2,000 buildings have undergone periodic façade inspections.

Amidst changing weather conditions, we will continue to review our regulations and inspection regimes regularly, to future-proof our buildings and ensure the structural safety and resilience of buildings in Singapore.