The number of fallen window cases in Singapore has increased to 28 during the first five months of 2017 from an average of 24 in the same period over the last five years, revealed the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and Building and Construction Authority (BCA) on Tuesday (6 June).
HDB and BCA noted that most of the casement windows that fell were fitted with corroded aluminium rivets, which rendered them unable to hold the window panels firmly in place.
Most of the sliding windows that fell, on the other hand, were not well-maintained and did not have proper safety stoppers and angle strips in place.
While there were no injuries as a result of the cases, they “could have been prevented if the windows were well-maintained and had the necessary replacements done”.
All aluminium rivets in casement windows, for instance, should be replaced with stainless steel ones, while safety stoppers and/or angle strips in sliding windows should be replaced if they are worn out.
“We would like to remind all homeowners and tenants to regularly maintain their windows at least once every six months. This applies to all window types, including casement, sliding or louvered windows, and even if their windows were installed or have been retrofitted with stainless steel rivets,” said BCA’s Special Functions Group director Er. Lim Beng Kwee.
Homeowners who fail to replace all aluminium rivets in casement windows with stainless steel rivets could be fined by up to S$5,000 and/or jailed by up to six months. Moreover, if a window falls due to lack of maintenance, homeowners can face a maximum fine of S$10,000 and/or up to one year imprisonment.
Notably, 307 people have been fined while 81 people have been prosecuted for fallen windows since 2006, said HDB and BCA.
This article was edited by Denise Djong.
