Of the 43 cases of fallen windows, 50% involved casement windows.
During the first 11 months of 2021, 43 cases of fallen windows were registered, of which 50% involved casement windows, said the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) in a joint release on 11 December.
There were also 16 cases of fallen sliding windows and five cases involving other window types like louvre windows.
BCA and HDB noted that no injuries were reported from the cases.
BCA investigations showed that corroded aluminium rivets were the main cause of fallen casement windows. Since 2004, homeowners have been required to replace all aluminium rivets in such windows with stainless steel ones.
Sliding windows, on the other hand, mostly fall due to a lack of proper safety stoppers and angle strips.
“Without these safety features in place, the windows became detached and fell when homeowners applied excessive outward force when opening or closing them,” said the authorities.
They advised homeowners to check the safety stoppers and angle strips are in place while replacing any worn-out ones.
Related article: HDB Window: Maintenance Guide for 3 Common Window Types in Singapore
During the same period this year, BCA was alerted to 12 cases of windows “that were not well-maintained and on the verge of becoming dislodged”.
“For public safety, BCA worked with HDB in engaging owners of these cases to quickly appoint an approved window contractor to check and repair their windows. Hence, we urge homeowners to inspect and maintain their windows regularly,” said the authorities.
Homeowners who fail to replace aluminium rivets in casement windows with stainless steel ones could be fined up to $5,000 and/or jailed for up to six months.
For fallen windows due to lack of maintenance, homeowners may face a fine of up to $10,000, jailed for up to one year, or both.
A total of 388 people have been fined and 92 people prosecuted for fallen windows since 2006.
“As Singapore has many high-rise buildings and a dense built environment, each fallen window is dangerous that could potentially cause death or serious injuries. All homeowners and occupants can play a part to mitigate this risk by checking and maintaining their windows regularly. Together, we can keep our community and living environments safe,” said BCA Group Director (Building Resilience) Er. Thanabal Kaliannan.
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Cheryl Chiew, Digital Content Specialist at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact her about this story, email: cheryl@propertyguru.com.sg.
