35 cases of fallen windows in first 11 months of 2023; home owners advised to maintain windows
There were 35 cases of fallen windows recorded across Singapore from January to November 2023, 19 of them involving casement windows.
This compares to 33 cases reported for the whole of 2022 – 17 were casement windows, 15 were sliding windows and one was a louvre window, according to figures provided by the Building and Construction Authority (BCA).
Fifteen of the incidents in 2023 involved sliding windows, while one involved louvre window, the BCA and the Housing Board said in a joint statement on Dec 12. No one was injured in the incidents this year.
Investigations found that corroded and weakening rivets that were unable to hold the casement window panels in place was the main reason that caused the casement window panels to fall out.
In the cases involving sliding windows, the main cause was a lack of proper safety stoppers and angle strips to keep sliding window panels within the tracks to prevent dislodgements. BCA advises home owners to make sure that these safety stoppers and angle strips are in place and replace any worn-out ones promptly.
“Fallen windows are safety hazards as Singapore not only has a densely built environment but also many high-rise buildings. Glass shards, falling from height, can cause serious injuries and lead to other serious consequences,” said BCA group director for building resilience Thanabal Kaliannan.
“To mitigate these risks, we encourage home owners and occupiers to play their part by checking and maintaining their windows regularly,” he added.
Since 2004, BCA has been issuing retrofitting orders requiring home owners to replace aluminium rivets in casement windows with stainless steel ones.
Home owners can be fined up to $5,000, jailed for up to six months, or both, for failing to replace all aluminium rivets in casement windows with stainless steel ones.
If a window falls due to lack of maintenance, homeowners can be fined up to $10,000, jailed for up to one year, or both.
Since 2006, 406 people have been fined and 94 people prosecuted for fallen windows.
Home owners and occupants are also advised to check and maintain their windows at least once every six months, as the panels may detach and fall when their parts become loosened or defective over time due to wear and tear.
A list of BCA-approved window contractors and window maintenance tips can be found at the BCA website and the HDB website.
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