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Tuesday, January 31, 2023

Fire Safety (FSM) Regulations

All Public or Industrial Buildings which satisfy at least one of the following conditions, are required to appoint a fire safety manager:

1. A public building that

  • has 9 storeys or more (including any basement);
  • has an occupant load of 1,000 persons or more; or
  • has a floor area of 5,000 square metres or more,

excluding any building specified in paragraph 3 of the Fire Safety (Fire Certificate — Designated Buildings) Notification 2020 (G.N. No. S [000] /2020).

2.  An industrial building that —

  • has an occupant load of 1,000 persons or more; or
  • has a floor area or site area of 5,000 square metres or more.     

3.  A foreign employee dormitory that —

  • has an occupant load of 1,000 persons or more; or
  • has a floor area or site area of 5,000 square metres or more.

4.  A hospital

The general duties of fire safety manager is stipulated under the Fire Safety (Fire Safety Managers) Regulations, PART III. DUTIES OF FIRE SAFETY MANAGERS

General duties of fire safety manager

7.—(1) It shall be the duty of a fire safety manager appointed for any specified premises to assist the owner or occupier of the premises to —

(a)ensure at all times that fire safety requirements contained in the Emergency Response Plan are complied with;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

(b)supervise the maintenance of all fire safety works in the premises;

(c)ensure at all times that the occupant load of any part of any building does not exceed the capacity prescribed under the Fire Code;

(d)conduct daily checks within the premises and remove or cause to be removed any fire hazard that is found within the premises;

(e)prepare and execute the Emergency Response Plan for the premises and distribute the Emergency Response Plan to the occupants of the premises;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

(ea)conduct fire drills for the occupants of the premises at least twice in every calendar year or on such occasion as may be directed by the Commissioner;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

(f)ensure that all occupants are familiar with the means of escape located within the premises;

(g)prepare fire safety guidebooks for the occupants of the premises;

(ga)train, co-ordinate and supervise the Company Emergency Response Team for the premises in first-aid, fire-fighting and evacuation in the event of fire or other related emergencies;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

(h)train the occupants in the premises in first aid, fire fighting and evacuation in the event of fire or other related emergencies;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

(i)co-ordinate and supervise the occupants within the premises in fire fighting and in evacuation in the event of fire or other related emergencies;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

(j)supervise the operation of the Fire Command Centre in the event of fire or other related emergencies;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

(k)conduct at least 2 Table-Top Exercises within the premises each year and to evaluate, together with the Fire Safety Committee, the effectiveness of the Arson Prevention Plan and the Emergency Response Plan for those premises;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

(l)prepare and implement the Arson Prevention Plan for the premises;

(m)notify the Commissioner immediately upon the occurrence of any fire incident in the premises;

(n)organise campaigns, training courses, competitions, contests and other activities which will develop and maintain the interest of the occupants within the premises in establishing a fire safe environment; and

(o)carry out such other duties as the Commissioner may require.

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

(2) In addition to the duties under paragraph (1), it is the duty of a fire safety manager appointed for any specified complex premises to assist the owner or occupier of the premises —

(a)to carry out a fire risk assessment of the premises —

(i)at least once in every 3 years;

(ii)whenever the fire safety manager becomes aware of any change in work processes or work activities at the premises which is likely to increase the fire risk at the premises; and

(iii)whenever the Commissioner directs a fire risk assessment to be carried out; and

(b)to perform checks to ensure that any fire safety works using alternative solutions meet the requirements set out in the operations and maintenance manual, if any.

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

Fire safety report

8.—(1) Every fire safety manager shall in the month of December of each year prepare and submit to the owner or occupier of the specified premises by whom he is appointed a report containing the particulars set out in paragraph (2) and in such form as the Commissioner may require.

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(2) The particulars mentioned in paragraph (1) are —

(a)the measures, if any, taken by him to train the occupants in fire fighting skills and to maintain their interest in establishing a fire safe environment within the last 12 months and the particulars of the activities which were conducted for the occupants for the last 12 months;

(b)his recommendations on how the structure and the layout of the specified premises with regard to the fire safety of its occupants could be improved;

(c)the number of fire evacuation drills conducted within the specified premises over the last 12 months and the effectiveness of such drills;

(d)the measures, if any, taken to ensure the fire safety of the persons within the specified premises;

(e)a list of activities relating to fire safety scheduled for the next 12 months;

(f)the number of Table-Top Exercises conducted within the premises over the preceding 12 months and the effectiveness of the Arson Prevention Plan and the Emergency Response Plan for those premises;

[S 542/2013 wef 01/09/2013]

(g)the status of the implementation of the Arson Prevention Plan for those premises;

(h)any matter arising from the previous report; and

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(ha)in the case of specified complex premises, when the fire risk assessment and checks of the premises were last carried out for the purposes of regulation 7(2).

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(i)[Deleted by S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(3) The owner or occupier of the specified premises to whom the report is submitted under paragraph (1) shall, not later than one month after the receipt of the fire safety report, discuss the report with the fire safety manager and take such action or measures as the owner or occupier thinks fit.

PART IV
QUALIFICATIONS OF FIRE SAFETY MANAGERS

Appointment of fire safety managers

9.The owner or occupier of specified premises must not appoint any person as a fire safety manager for his premises without first obtaining proof that the person is certified by the Commissioner —

(a)under regulation 10(5) or (5A), if the premises are specified non-complex premises; or

(b)under regulation 10(5A), if the premises are specified complex premises.

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

Certification of fire safety managers by Commissioner

10.—(1) No person may carry out any duty of a fire safety manager —

(a)for specified non-complex premises, unless that person is certified by the Commissioner under paragraph (5) or (5A); or

(b)for specified complex premises, unless that person is certified by the Commissioner under paragraph (5A).

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

(2)  Any certification as a fire safety manager shall only be valid for the duration of such training cycle as may be specified in the certification.

(3) An application to be certified as a fire safety manager must be —

(a)made to the Commissioner in such form and manner as the Commissioner may determine; and

(b)accompanied by such documentary evidence of the applicant’s qualifications or experience as a fire safety manager as the Commissioner may require.

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

(4) [Deleted by S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

(5) The Commissioner may, with or without conditions, certify a person as a fire safety manager for specified non-complex premises upon an application under paragraph (3) if that person —

(a)holds such qualification in fire safety which in the opinion of the Commissioner is adequate to enable him to carry out his duties as a fire safety manager for specified non-complex premises; and

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

(b)is, in the opinion of the Commissioner, a fit and proper person to be appointed as a fire safety manager for specified non-complex premises.

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

(5A) The Commissioner may, with or without conditions, certify a person as a fire safety manager for specified complex premises (commonly known as a senior fire safety manager) upon an application under paragraph (3) if that person —

(a)has at least 3 years of working experience as a fire safety manager appointed for specified non-complex premises;

(b)holds such qualification in fire safety which in the opinion of the Commissioner is adequate to enable that person to carry out his duties as a fire safety manager for specified complex premises; and

(c)is, in the opinion of the Commissioner, a fit and proper person to be appointed as a fire safety manager for specified complex premises.

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

(6) Subject to paragraph (7), a certified fire safety manager may not continue to be certified as a fire safety manager for any subsequent training cycle unless he has, during the training cycle immediately preceding, obtained the requisite minimum number of points as may be determined by the Commissioner under regulation 11(3).

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(7) The Commissioner may, upon application by a fire safety manager who has failed to accumulate the requisite minimum number of points as required by paragraph (6), certify him as a fire safety manager for the next training cycle if he gives an undertaking that he will make up for the shortfall in the requisite minimum number of points within such time in that training cycle as the Commissioner may specify.

(8)  [Deleted by S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(9)  Any such number of points obtained by the person under paragraph (7) to make up a shortfall in one training cycle shall be disregarded for the purposes of computing the requisite minimum number of points which he is required to obtain under paragraph (6) for certification as a fire safety manager for the next training cycle.

(10)  Notwithstanding paragraphs (6) and (7), the Commissioner may, in such special circumstances as he may determine, certify a person to act as a fire safety manager even though the person has failed to obtain the requisite minimum number of points as required by paragraph (6).

Continuing Professional Development Programme

11.—(1)  [Deleted by S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(2) The Programme shall consist of such courses as are approved by the Commissioner.

(3)  The Commissioner must specify —

(a)the minimum number of points a fire safety manager must obtain for each training cycle for the purposes of regulation 10(6); and

(b)the number of points that may be obtained for successfully completing an approved course under the Programme.

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(4) The Commissioner may, on application by any fire safety manager, approve any other course to be included in the Programme.

(5) Where —

(a)a person is certified as a fire safety manager for any training cycle for the first time; and

(b)he applies under regulation 10(3) to continue to be certified as a fire safety manager for the next training cycle immediately following that training cycle,

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

then for the purpose of computing the requisite minimum number of points that he has to obtain during the training cycle for which he is first certified, the Commissioner may compute, on a pro-rata basis, the requisite minimum number of points having regard to the date the person is first certified.

(6) The Commissioner may differentiate between fire safety managers certified under regulation 10(5) and (5A) in respect of —

(a)the requisite minimum number of points required for the purpose of paragraph (3)(a); and

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

(b) the courses approved under paragraph (2) or (4).

[S 407/2015 wef 01/07/2015]

Training courses for fire safety manager

12.—(1)  The Commissioner may require a fire safety manager appointed under these Regulations to attend such courses of instruction or receive such training relevant to the work of a fire safety manager as the Commissioner may determine.

(2)  This regulation shall not apply to any person appointed to act in the absence of a fire safety manager under regulation 6.

(3)  A fire safety manager mentioned in paragraph (1) must attend the course of instruction or training required, and within the time specified, by the Commissioner.

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

Person not to be appointed or act as fire safety manager for more than one building

13.  Except with the prior approval of the Commissioner in writing, no person shall be appointed or act as a fire safety manager for more than one building.

Suspension or revocation of certification

14.—(1) The Commissioner may, at any time, suspend for a period not exceeding 12 months, or revoke, the certification of any fire safety manager under regulation 10(5) or (5A) if —

(a)during the training cycle for which the fire safety manager is certified, the fire safety manager is under investigation for, or has been charged with or convicted of —

(i)an offence under the Act or any regulations made under the Act; or

(ii)an offence involving dishonesty or moral turpitude, whether in Singapore or elsewhere;

(b)during the training cycle for which the fire safety manager is certified, the Commissioner compounds an offence under the Act committed by the fire safety manager;

(c) the fire safety manager had submitted an application under regulation 10(3) that contains a statement or information that is untrue, or misleading (including as a result of any omission), in any material particular; or

(d) the fire safety manager fails to make up for the shortfall in the requisite minimum number of points within such time as may be specified by the Commissioner under regulation 10(7).

(2)  Any decision of the Commissioner under paragraph (1) in relation to a fire safety manager does not take effect until the 15th day after the date the fire safety manager is notified of the Commissioner’s decision.

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

Appeal to Minister

15.  Any person who is aggrieved by the Commissioner’s decision to —

(a) reject the person’s application for certification under regulation 10(3); or

(b) suspend or revoke the person’s certification under regulation 14,

may appeal to the Minister within 14 days after being notified of the Commissioner’s decision.

[S 771/2020 wef 14/09/2020]

Offences

16.  Any person who, without reasonable excuse, contravenes regulation 3, 5, 6, 7, 8(1) or (3), 9, 10(1), 12(3) or 13 shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both.


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