Background

In accordance with the Regulations 27 (for ERP) and 45 (for TERP) respectively, Fire Safety (Petroleum and Flammable Materials) Regulations 2005.

The Emergency Response Plan or Transport Emergency Response Plan shall be prepared in accordance with such guidelines as may be issued by the Commissioner and shall be submitted to the Commissioner for approval. The holder of the licence shall ensure that the contents of the Emergency Response Plan (ERP) as approved by the Commissioner are made know to all persons working at the premises licensed to store or keep petroleum or flammable materials or both. Similarly, a person licensed to transport petroleum or flammable materials or both shall ensure that the driver and the vehicle crew have adequate knowledge of the Transport Emergency Response Plan (TERP). The contents of an ERP or TERP shall deal with off-site impact, if any, and shall cover the following areas and be in the format specified by the Commissioner. The following are the highlights of these guidelines:

1. Identification of likely accident scenarios and establishment of possible impact zones;
   
2. Notification and activation procedures;
   
3. Response actions to contain and control the release and to mitigate the impact zones;
   
4. Monitoring of the affected areas, including the off-site affected areas;
   
5. Procedures for decontamination and clean-up of affected areas;
   
6. Names of personnel with their assigned roles and responsibilities in dealing with the emergency (including the decontamination and clean-up of the affected areas);
   
7. List of emergency response equipment, including protective gears, fire-fighting equipment, over-pack drums, emergency containers or tankers, absorbents, neutralizing agents, monitoring equipment and clean-up equipment, made available for dealing with the emergency; and
   
8. Approved transport timings (additional information required for TERP only);
   
9. Approved transport routes (additional information required for TERP only); and
   
10. Any other information as required by the Commissioner.
    

What is an Emergency Response Plan (ERP) or Transport Emergency Response Plan (TERP)?

For Storage Licence - ERP: The holder of a licence to store or keep any petroleum or flammable material or both at the premises specified in his licence shall prepare and keep up-to-date an ERP to deal with any spillage, leakage, accidental discharge or emergency which may arise from the storage of the petroleum or flammable material at those premises.

For Transport Licence - TERP: A person licensed to transport petroleum or flammable material as a carrier, supplier or dealer shall, at the time of application of his licence, prepare and keep up-to-date an adequate TERP to deal with any spillage, leakage, accident release or any other emergency which may arise from the transport of petroleum or flammable material.

Where can I download the guidelines of ERP or TERP?

For the guidelines of ERP, please click on the hyperlink to view the information on another webpage.

For the guidelines for TERP, please click on the hyperlink to view the information on another webpage.

Who should submit the ERP or TERP?

Anyone who wishes to apply for a storage licence or transport licence is required to submit an ERP or TERP respectively for approval. The companies can authorize any staff who is working in the company to submit an ERP or TERP. However, if the applicant is not a staff or owner of the premises, the application must be accompanied by consent in writing from the owner of the premises or his legal personal representative.

When should I submit the ERP or TERP for approval?

Applicant needs to obtain an approval for his or her ERP or TERP from Operations Dept before Fire Safety & Shelter Dept (FSSD) can issue a Petroleum and Flammable Material (P & FM) licence. Applicant can make concurrent submission for ERP or TERP with his or her application of P & FM licence.

When will I have to resubmit the ERP or TERP for renewal?

A renewal notification form will be sent to the applicant via email 3 months prior to the expiry of the ERP or TERP. The notification will inform the applicant to apply for renewal. ERP or TERP has to be resubmitted for approval before the expiry of the approval letter.

How to make an application?

For more information on how to complete the online application form for submission of ERP or TERP, you may wish to refer to
How to complete application form for ERP or TERP?

How should I go about renewing my ERP or TERP submission online if my plans have been approved before 31 August 2006?

Applicants, who wish to renew their ERP or TERP online for the first time are required to select the new application option on the e-submission form. This is to generate an ERP reference number (e.g. ERP/XXXXX/XX) for subsequent online renewals.

How do I submit the ERP or TERP for approval?

All application of ERP or TERP has to be submitted via an online system at

Online Submission for ERP

Online Submission for TERP

How soon can my application be processed?

Your application will be processed within 7 working days upon the date of receipt and SCDF will notify you via email or fax. If documents submitted are in order, approval will be granted via email.

How much does each application cost and what is the validity period?

There is no fee required and the ERP or TERP approval letter is valid for 12 months.

If I am not able to upload my softcopy ERP or TERP what should I do?

The softcopy submission must not exceed 1.9MB. If you are unable to upload the softcopy of your ERP or TERP, please send a hardcopy by post quoting the reference number and the submission ID number. In addition, you are required to register a case online and printout the acknowledgment letter and attach together with your hardcopy submission to the following address:

HazMat Department
HQ Singapore Civil Defence Force
91 Ubi Avenue 4
Singapore 408827

What happens after I have made the submission?

After a submission is made online for ERP or TERP, an acknowledgement letter will be sent to the applicants via email.

Will I need to resubmit an ERP or TERP if I have new additions of petroleum / flammable materials to my existing licence or you wish to update the ERP or TERP ?

No, you are not required to resubmit the ERP or TERP. However, you will need to logon to the website and update your ERP or TERP. In addition, you will need to inform FSSD about the new additions of petroleum/flammable materials to your existing license. Alternatively, you may access the Online Business Licensing Services (OBLS) to submit an update to your existing licence.

Will I need to resubmit the TERP if I have acquired additional vehicles and wish to include these new vehicles in the same TERP ?

Yes, you’re required to make a new application to obtain another TERP approval. At any point of time during application, a company is strongly advised to include as many vehicles into one TERP as possible. However, there is no limit to the number of TERPs which a company can possess.

Can I submit a TERP for approval if I transport both package and bulk hazardous substances using the same vehicle?

Yes, you can submit one application for TERP approval if the hazardous substances are controlled by NEA. However, if you wish to transport both package and bulk petroleum/flammable materials licensed by SCDF, you are required to submit a separate submission of TERP for package and bulk transportation.

Who should I contact on enquiry?

For any clarifications on submission of ERP or TERP for approval, you may wish to contact:

ERP Officers
HazMat Department
HQ Singapore Civil Defence Force

Tel : 6848 3321
Fax : 6848 3564
Email : SCDF_ERP_TERP@scdf.gov.sg