Foreword

The Fire Code prescribes the fire safety standards for buildings in Singapore and serves as a key reference for Qualified Persons, architects and engineers to design fire-safe buildings. It provides guidance on the principles of fire safety and the corresponding requirements to minimise risk of fire spread and loss of lives in the event of a fire in a building.

The Fire Code is now in its 9th edition. The Fire Code Review Committee (FCRC), led by the SCDF, comprises representatives from professional bodies, academic institutions, and statutory boards. In the review and development of the latest code requirements, the FCRC adopted an evidence-based approach. In addition to having close consultations with practitioners in the building industry to understand their needs and concerns on the fire safety requirements, references were also drawn from past fire incidents, as well as data derived from comparative studies involving international standards, fire modelling, and fire safety research. This approach in reviewing the Fire Code helped the FCRC arrive at optimal and cost-effective solutions to ensure that fire safety standards across different types of buildings remain effective.

Supporting our nation’s vision of built environment sustainability and food security forms a key thrust in this 9 th edition of the Fire Code. In line with the Singapore Green Plan 2030, the Fire Code includes fire safety requirements specific to green initiatives, such as Wall-Mounted Photovoltaic (PV) Panels, Energy Storage Systems (ESS) and Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Stations. Similarly, the farm industry is evolving to boost food production with less land and more automation to achieve our food security goal. SCDF has worked with the relevant stakeholders to calibrate the fire safety requirements for farms according to their associated fire safety risks. Consequently, the revised fire safety requirements translate to reduced compliance and construction costs that are commensurate with the assessed risks for farm owners and developers.

Fire safety requirements that address SCDF’s operational needs continue to form an integral aspect of the overall building fire safety. The Fire Code 2023 has enhanced requirements to complement SCDF’s firefighting and rescue efforts. These include ensuring that building facades are adequately designed with fire access openings that can facilitate the deployment of SCDF’s aerial ladders and rescue cages, and having enhanced markings and signages to further improve the identification of fire engine access.

To conclude, I would like to extend my utmost appreciation to all members of the FCRC and our stakeholders who have been involved in the Fire Code review. This consultative and collaborative approach between SCDF and the industry in the continual review and enhancement of the Fire Code is an invaluable experience. Let us continue to work together to make Singapore a safe home always.

Eric Yap

commissioner

Singapore Civil Defence Force

August 2023

CODE OF PRACTICE FOR FIRE PRECAUTIONS IN BUILDINGS REVIEW COMMITTEE

The Code of Practice for Fire Precautions in Buildings Review Committee comprises the following members:

Notice to Users of the Code of Practice for Fire Precautions in Buildings 2023

The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) reviews the Code of Practice for Fire Safety Precautions in Buildings (Fire Code) regularly to ensure relevance with new developments, such as changes in building construction methods, new/ improved building materials, changing building risk profiles, etc.

The SCDF will periodically inform the building industry through circulars on all changes made to the Code, and will update the interactive version of the Code on its website when the changes take effect.