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The incident, which occurred on Jan 28, resulted in three people being trapped under rugs and shelves.
PHOTO: Facebook/Singapore Civil Defence Force
PUBLISHED ON February 10, 2025 12:25 PMByBhavya Rawat
The mezzanine floor of a Toa Payoh warehouse that collapsed last month was built without the approval of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) or the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
The incident, which occurred on Jan 28 at 11 Toa Payoh Industrial Park, resulted in three people being trapped under rugs and storage racks. Four people, two of whom were children, were taken to the hospital.
SCDF said on Monday (Feb 10) that inspections of the premises on Jan 28 and Jan 31 found that a fire safety certificate had not been obtained for the affected mezzanine floor.
Under the Fire Safety Act, those who wish to carry out any addition or alteration works at their premises must first seek SCDF's approval for the fire safety works involved.
This requires the building owner or whomever responsible to engage a qualified professional to prepare and submit their plans to SCDF.
Upon completion, the building owner must engage a registered inspector to check the premises in order to obtain the fire safety certificate.
"Investigations are ongoing and appropriate action will be taken against the party responsible for the failure to obtain the fire safety certificate with respect to the fire safety work done on site," said SCDF.
"BCA takes compliance with the Building Control Act and Regulations seriously. Appropriate action will be taken against parties found to be in violation of the requirements," the spokesperson said.
Carrying out unauthorised works without plan approval or a permit from BCA are serious offences, each punishable by a fine of up to $200,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
Those who fail to obtain the fire safety certificate for the completed works may be fined up to $10,000, while two-time offenders face a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction, said SCDF.
AHT Carpet and Flooring, the tenant occupying the warehouse unit, had told The Straits Times that the mezzanine floor was installed by a vendor in May 2024.
singapore
Mezzanine floor of Toa Payoh warehouse that collapsed was built without authorities' approval
The incident, which occurred on Jan 28, resulted in three people being trapped under rugs and shelves.
PHOTO: Facebook/Singapore Civil Defence Force
PUBLISHED ON February 10, 2025 12:25 PMByBhavya Rawat
The mezzanine floor of a Toa Payoh warehouse that collapsed last month was built without the approval of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) or the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
The incident, which occurred on Jan 28 at 11 Toa Payoh Industrial Park, resulted in three people being trapped under rugs and storage racks. Four people, two of whom were children, were taken to the hospital.
SCDF said on Monday (Feb 10) that inspections of the premises on Jan 28 and Jan 31 found that a fire safety certificate had not been obtained for the affected mezzanine floor.
Under the Fire Safety Act, those who wish to carry out any addition or alteration works at their premises must first seek SCDF's approval for the fire safety works involved.
This requires the building owner or whomever responsible to engage a qualified professional to prepare and submit their plans to SCDF.
Upon completion, the building owner must engage a registered inspector to check the premises in order to obtain the fire safety certificate.
"Investigations are ongoing and appropriate action will be taken against the party responsible for the failure to obtain the fire safety certificate with respect to the fire safety work done on site," said SCDF.
No approval requested from BCA
Responding to AsiaOne's queries on Monday, a BCA spokesperson said that they did not receive any application for the installation of the steel platform and racking system at the warehouse, adding that further investigations are being carried out."BCA takes compliance with the Building Control Act and Regulations seriously. Appropriate action will be taken against parties found to be in violation of the requirements," the spokesperson said.
Carrying out unauthorised works without plan approval or a permit from BCA are serious offences, each punishable by a fine of up to $200,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, or both.
Those who fail to obtain the fire safety certificate for the completed works may be fined up to $10,000, while two-time offenders face a further fine of up to $1,000 for each day the offence continues after conviction, said SCDF.
AHT Carpet and Flooring, the tenant occupying the warehouse unit, had told The Straits Times that the mezzanine floor was installed by a vendor in May 2024.
