Question No: 1431
Question by: Ms Jessica Tan Soon Neo

To ask the Minister for National Development (a) whether URA has assessed the fire safety and evacuation risks arising from the temporary relaxation of the occupancy cap for private residences; and (b) what safeguards are in place to address higher turnover and foot traffic arising from the increased occupancy cap.

Answer:

All residential premises in Singapore are subject to fire safety requirements regulated by SCDF. For example, fire escape routes, such as common corridors and staircases, need to be well-ventilated to aid smoke dispersal during a fire. Exit staircases are also located to provide residents with safe escape routes. Each residential unit is designed as a fire compartment to delay the spread of fire. This facilitates firefighting, while enhancing the safety of residents.

These standards remain sufficient with the temporary higher occupancy cap for larger private residential properties.