Reader Response Draft 1

In the article “Use Of Cladding In Buildings Here Have Grown In Recent Times”,  Faris Mokhtar (2017),  the use of cladding to make buildings more sustainable has increased over the years. Claddings are used as a cover for buildings as they prevent the sun from shining on the exterior walls of the building.  Claddings are also used for noise and rain protection.

However, the use of cladding has been under scrutiny as reports show that they may be a factor in a deadly fire in the United Kingdom. On 14 June 2017, a deadly fire occurred in Kensington and 30 people lost their lives in the fire. The reason was that the fire was able to spread quickly and upwards through the ventilation gaps between the cladding and the building wall.

Similarly, in Singapore, a 54-year-old woman was killed in a fire after it broke out at an industrial building. According to another article “ Cladding for 36 buildings may pose fire risk,” Faris Mokhtar (2017), investigations found that the panels used did not meet fire code requirements. The fire code states only class ‘0’ panels are allowed, as they are fire-resistant. The Singapore civil defense force (SCDF) has also conducted an assessment for 40 other buildings with cladding installed. Out of the 40 buildings, 14 were found to have non-class “0” panels on their external walls. 

Overall, materials for cladding should be inspected before implementation and building fire safety inspections should be carried out more often.

The materials used for claddings can be approved by the SCDF before implementation.  The severity of the incident that happened at Toh Guan Road could have been reduced if the cladding material is different. On the SCDF website  under the article,“SCDF Takes Immediate Actions to Ensure Fire Safety of Buildings,” all cladding used in Singapore must adhere to the fire code or else they will be removed. Investigations found that there was a mixture of class ‘1’ and class ‘0’ cladding which has breach the fire safety recommendations. What SCDF could have done is to restrict the market for cladding purchases. They should analyze the different companies that make claddings for buildings and approved some of these companies on their website so that building owners know which companies that make claddings are approved.

 In the SCDF website, under the article “Takes Immediate Actions to Ensure Fire Safety of Buildings, ”SCDF also conducted a comprehensive on-site fire safety assessment of 40 buildings and have concluded that all buildings remain fit and safe for occupancy due to their existing fire safety regulations.  As for those building owners who are affected, SCDF has notified and is working with them to test the cladding. Those whose cladding is not class ‘0’ must be removed as they are deemed fire safety hazard. SCDF is also working with the relevant authorities to make sure that building owners comply with the stipulated requirements. Overall, stricter punishments such as fines or temporary closure for major breach must be given to the building owners that do not follow the fire safety standard. 

According to the SCDF Website under the article of “Fire Certificate,”Fire safety inspection for buildings is done annually and is a requirement for buildings to obtain a fire certificate. The certificate will be valid for 12 months and after that, the building owner will need to get a recertification. Buildings would be a lot safer if they are tested more regularly as the owners will need to maintain high safety standards throughout the entire year and not get lax after a recertification is done. SCDF should also conduct random checks on building owners to make sure they comply with the requirements.

In conclusion, a lot could be done by the Singapore Civil Defense Force to prevent such an incident from happening again. Stricter standards can be enforced to push building owners to make them be more careful as well as to further implement good practices to make buildings safe.

Edited 29 September 2017
References:


https://www.scdf.gov.sg/content/scdf_internet/en/fire-safety/acts-codes-regulations.html
https://www.scdf.gov.sg/general/news/news-releases/2017/scdf-takes-immediate-actions-ensure-fire-safety-buidlings

https://www.scdf.gov.sg/fire-safety-buildings-improper-use-cladding

https://www.scdf.gov.sg/content/scdf_internet/en/building-professionals/fire-safety-permit-and-certification/fire-certificate.html

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/police-investigating-unapproved-cladding-40-buildings-singapore

http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/use-cladding-buildings-here-have-grown-recent-times-experts

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/housing/about-cladding-and-checks

http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/distributor-placed-two-models-of-cladding-in-one-stock

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/36-buildings-may-have-combustible-cladding-that-doesn-t-meet-9153588









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