Scaffold netting used in Singapore must be fire-retardant from March 2027

This rule will apply to projects awarded from March 1, 2027, regardless of the material used for the scaffold.

ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG

Published Sep 24, 2026, 07:55 PM

Updated Sep 24, 2026, 08:04 PM

SINGAPORE – All scaffold netting used outside buildings must be fire-retardant from next year, to reduce fire risks at work sites, said Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash on Sept 24.

Dinesh added that scaffold netting must be tested in accordance with established international fire test standards that are relevant to Singapore’s environment, as identified by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force.

The new measure is part of recent efforts to reduce fire risks at construction sites here after a deadly fire at Hong Kong’s Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in November 2025 killed 168 people.

The Singapore Government said in January that it was reviewing early findings from Hong Kong’s probe into the fire and studying if worksite and residential building maintenance regulations here need to be strengthened.

In July, the authorities shortened the duration scaffolds made of timber can be used, from nine to three months . This rule, which takes effect from January 2027, seeks to reduce the amount of combustible timber materials at construction sites and to address concerns about the deterioration of timber over time.

A circular outlining the scope of the new requirements for scaffold netting, acceptable fire test standards and compliance measures, including labelling and certification requirements, will be issued by MOM, said Dinesh. Details will be available on MOM’s website.

In a separate fact sheet on Sept 24, MOM said fire-retardant scaffold netting must also be certified by certification bodies accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council from March 1, 2028.

This will provide independent third-party verification of product compliance, it added. More details will be shared at a later date.

Dinesh made the new announcement at the annual Workplace Safety and Health (WSH) Awards ceremony, which was attended by over 2,000 people from industries ranging from construction to transport and healthcare.

Singapore’s safety standards must keep pace with emerging risks and lessons here and abroad to enhance workplace safety and health, he added.

While he noted a “marked improvement” in the Republic’s performance on this front, with the workplace fatality rate reduced to about 1 per 100,000 workers in recent years, Dinesh stressed that this progress must be sustained through deliberate efforts .

Singapore’s workplace fatality rate in the first half of 2026 rose to 1.1 deaths per 100,000 workers , up from 0.97 in the same period in 2025. In June, MOM enhanced penalties and stepped up other workplace safety measures following a spate of workplace deaths.

Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash speaking at the annual Workplace Safety and Health Awards ceremony on Sept 24. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash speaking at the annual Workplace Safety and Health Awards ceremony on Sept 24.

PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO

Dinesh also said the WSH Council has launched a programme to have consultants help firms identify safety risks, strengthen safety management practices , and sustain improvements.

“Not every company is at the same stage of WSH maturity. Our task... is to help each and every one of us take that first step in building the capacity and capability to protect our workers ,” he said.

Called StaySAFE, this new initiative builds on the StartSAFE programme started in 2016 to give companies free access to consultants who can advise them on workplace safety and health.

Smart watches for workers to monitor heart rate

A record 367 firms and individuals received awards for effective workplace safety and health practices at the ceremony, which was held at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre.

Among the winners is Longxiang Construction, which developed its own system to monitor workers’ heart rate, body temperature and blood oxygen level in real-time using smart watches. The system alerts supervisors to possible heat stress, fatigue or medical emergencies.

Longxiang’s chief operating officer Leong Chee Keng said the system, which took around six months and cost about $200,000 to develop in-house, has helped to ensure workers stop to rest when their body temperature or heart rate is too high.

The firm won recognition in three categories, including the WSH Tech Award.

Asked how smaller, less well-resourced firms can tap technology to improve safety and health for their workers, Leong said: “Since we already developed this system, we can also help them to use (it)... They can approach us.”

Wong Yang is a journalist who covers politics and policy.

Workplace safety and health

Accidents - workplace

Ministry of Manpower

本规则适用于 2027 年 3 月 1 日起授予的项目，无论脚手架使用何种材料。

《海峡时报》摄影：KELVIN CHNG

发布于 2026 年 9 月 24 日晚上 7:55

更新于2026年9月24日晚上8:04

新加坡——人力部政务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什于9月24日表示，从明年起，所有在建筑物外使用的脚手架网都必须是阻燃的，以降低工地火灾风险。

Dinesh补充说，脚手架网必须按照新加坡人力部和新加坡民防部队确定的与新加坡环境相关的既定国际防火测试标准进行测试。

这项新措施是近期为降低本地建筑工地火灾风险而采取的措施之一。此前，香港宏福苑公寓大楼于 2025 年 11 月发生致命火灾，造成 168 人死亡。

新加坡政府在1月份表示，正在审查香港对火灾的初步调查结果，并研究是否需要加强本地的工地和住宅楼宇维护法规。

7月，有关部门将木制脚手架的使用期限从9个月缩短至3个月。这项将于2027年1月生效的规定旨在减少建筑工地上可燃木材的数量，并解决人们对木材随时间推移而劣化的担忧。

迪内什表示，人力部将发布一份通告，概述脚手架防护网的新要求范围、可接受的防火测试标准和合规措施，包括标签和认证要求。详情可在人力部网站上查阅。

9 月 24 日，人力部在另一份情况说明书中表示，从 2028 年 3 月 1 日起，阻燃脚手架网也必须由新加坡认证委员会认可的认证机构进行认证。

该公司补充说，这将提供独立的第三方产品合规性验证。更多细节将在稍后公布。

迪内什在年度工作场所安全与健康 (WSH) 颁奖典礼上宣布了这一新消息，来自建筑、运输和医疗保健等行业的 2000 多人参加了此次典礼。

他补充说，新加坡的安全标准必须与时俱进，吸取国内外新出现的风险和经验教训，以提高工作场所的安全和健康水平。

尽管他指出共和国在这方面的表现有了“显著改善”，近年来工作场所死亡率已降至每 10 万名工人中约 1 人，但迪内什强调，必须通过深思熟虑的努力来保持这一进展。

新加坡2026年上半年的工作场所死亡率将上升至每10万名工人中有1.1人死亡，高于2025年同期的0.97人。今年6月，在发生一系列工作场所死亡事故后，人力部加大了处罚力度，并加强了其他工作场所安全措施。

人力部政务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什于9月24日在年度工作场所安全与健康奖颁奖典礼上发表讲话。（图片来源：联合早报）

人力部国务部长迪内什·瓦苏·达什于9月24日在年度工作场所安全与健康奖颁奖典礼上发表讲话。

图片来源：联合早报

Dinesh 还表示，WSH 委员会已启动一项计划，让顾问帮助企业识别安全风险、加强安全管理措施并保持改进。

“并非每家公司在职业安全与健康方面的成熟度都相同。我们的任务……是帮助每一位公司迈出第一步，提升保护员工的能力，”他说道。

这项名为 StaySAFE 的新计划建立在 2016 年启动的 StartSAFE 计划之上，旨在让公司免费获得顾问服务，这些顾问可以就工作场所安全和健康向他们提供建议。

用于监测员工心率的智能手表

在金沙会展中心举行的颁奖典礼上，创纪录的 367 家公司和个人因有效的工作场所安全和健康实践而获得表彰。

获奖者之一是龙翔建设，该公司开发了一套利用智能手表实时监测工人心率、体温和血氧饱和度的系统。该系统能够及时向主管发出警报，提醒他们注意可能出现的中暑、疲劳或突发疾病等情况。

龙翔首席运营官梁志强表示，这套系统由公司内部开发，耗时约六个月，成本约20万美元，有助于确保工人在体温或心率过高时停下来休息。

该公司在三个类别中获得认可，其中包括 WSH 技术奖。

当被问及规模较小、资源较少的公司如何利用技术来改善员工的安全和健康时，梁先生说：“既然我们已经开发了这个系统，我们也可以帮助他们使用（它）……他们可以来联系我们。”

黄阳是一位报道政治和政策的记者。

工作场所安全与健康

工作场所事故

人力部