SINGAPORE: There were 28 cases of fallen windows in the first five months of this year, compared with an average of 24 cases in the last five years during the same time, according to the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and Housing and Development Board (HDB).
There have been no injuries as a result of these cases, BCA and HDB added in their press release on Tuesday (Jun 6).
The agencies said most of the casement windows which fell were found fitted with corroded aluminium rivets. As such, window panels were not held firmly in place. Poorly-maintained sliding windows which did not possess proper safety stoppers and angle strips in place also contributed to the number, they added.
“These cases could have been prevented if the windows were well-maintained and had the necessary replacements done. For example, all aluminium rivets in casement windows should be replaced with stainless steel ones, and safety stoppers and/or angle strips in sliding windows should be replaced if they are worn out,” the release said.
Homeowners could be fined up to S$5,000, jailed for up to six months, or both, for failing to replace all aluminium rivets in casement windows with stainless steel rivets. Additionally, if a window falls due to lack of maintenance, homeowners could be handed a S$10,000 fine, jailed up to a year, or both.
Since 2006, 307 people have been fined and 81 people prosecuted for fallen windows, BCA and HDB said.
Read more at http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/singapore/number-of-fallen-windows-up-in-first-5-months-of-2017-8916172