Minister Mah speaks on recent construction site accidents

"However, we should view these incidents in perspective. Our construction safety record is good. According to MOM, the number of fatal construction accidents has dropped, from 72 in 1997 to 31 in 2003. Let us not speculate on the causes..."

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  Some tenants are not happy with a S$1.4 million package offered to businesses hit by the collapse of their flatted factory's corridors on Tuesday, saying that the offer barely covers their loss of revenue and the renovation work they must carry out if they take up alternative premises offered by developer JTC Corporation. (Straits Times 29 Aug 2002) (5)

  Five floors of concrete corridors collapsed at a JTC flatted factory in Toa Payoh North yesterday morning. No one was hurt. The service corridors were used as a fire escape and to hold the air-conditioning units. Developer JTC Corporation said that while its engineers had found the building to be structurally sound, it was arranging to relocate the 22 affected companies to its other flatted factories. (Straits Times 28 Aug 2002) (4)

  The Public Utilities Board (PUB) confirmed yesterday it had written to the Real Estate Development Association of Singapore, to inform it that developers will be required to provide a dedicated pipe system in all new commercial and industrial projects to accept Newater. For those locations where the Newater pipeline network will only be available after 2011, companies need to set aside space for when the new pipelines are laid. By January 2003, more than 68 million litres of Newater will be produced daily. It will go up to more than 250 million litres a day by 2012. (Straits Times 27 Aug 2002) (1)

  The Ministry of National Development (MND) yesterday revealed that since April 1999, private-sector architects have received 118 government projects worth S$1.3 billion. In contrast, the value of government projects undertaken by PWD Consultants  - the Public Works Department's consulting arm - fell from S$2 billion in 1998 to S$1.3 billion in 1999 and about S$1.4 billion in 2000 and 2001. (Straits Times 25 Jun 2002) (4)

  Starting 24 Jun 2002, property developers can submit their building progress reports and even apply for an extension of their construction schedule via the Internet. These are some of the 14 new online services which will be launched by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on its website, www.ura.gov.sg today. (Straits Times 24 Jun 2002) (A19)

  The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received close to 1,800 complaints in 2001 about contractors reneging on their contracts and leaving work undone - compared to 1,291 the year before. Timeshare companies accounted for 1,256 complaints in 2001.(Straits Times 1 Mar 2002)(H1)

  The size of mandatory bomb shelters in each housing unit will be reduced by about 12 to 15 per cent following amendments to the construction laws approved in April this year. Since May 1998, when the Civil Defence Shelter Act was introduced, developers have had to build a shelter - or concrete-reinforced "storeroom" - in each house in Singapore, including Housing Board flats. There are now 87,000 such shelters in HDB estates and about 1,000 in private estates. (Straits Times 16 Nov 2001)(H1) 

  New noise rules that stop piling, blasting, demolishing and concreting works from being carried out between 7pm and 7am came into effect on Monday, but will affect only new projects, and not ongoing ones, said the Environment Ministry (ENV). It told The Straits Times that his was because the new limits could affect completion time. The move by the ENV came after complaints from residents about noisy construction sites shot up to 33 per week last year, up from just 21 per week in 1999. The new limits allow only quiet work, such as bricklaying, plastering and painting, to be carried out between 10pm and 7am. (Straits Times 6 Oct 2001)(H6)

  Unscrupulous contractors are once again conning unwary Housing Board residents into making unnecessary repairs. Posing as HDB contractors, they pressure their victims into paying up to S$1,000 for new doors, grilles, pipes and rubbish-chute covers. Instead of asking residents whether they want the repairs, some of the contractors will tell them it is compulsory for them to replace these items. While the culprits do not carry official passes, they usually produce documents which have HDB-lookalike logos. The HDb advises residents to ignore such touts, or take down the company's particulars. They should file a police report if they have been intimidated or harrassed. (Straits Times 23 Jul 2001)(H1)

  Firms will be able to submit their building plans online under a new system. Instead of submitting them separately to 13 government departments for the necessary approvals, the new system means they need send the plans to only one place. The plans will be routed automatically to all the agencies. Called One-Stop Submission Centre, the S$7.7-million system will involve 30 building firms here initially, in a pilot scheme which begins next month. By November 2001, all Singapore's 1,800 professional engineers and architects will be able to start using the e-system. (Straits Times 16 Jul 2001)(H5)

  Prime Minister GOH Chok Tong yesterday said the Government would let balconies be built over and above the set plot ratio "to give the building occupants the opportunity to create their personal garden in the sky". Developers will get extra space - one-tenth of the maximum plot ratio - solely for balconies. The plot ratio is the amount of covered floor area in a building relative to the entire site area. Developers will still pay for the space - from about S$1,000 to S$5,000 per sq m, depending on location. (Straits Times 27 Jun 2001)