The developers of the Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) flats at Pasir Ris ONE have been instructed by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) to address the issue of some metal gates of the flats potentially causing obstruction in times of emergency.
In its response to letters to the press which expressed concerns over the seeming lack of adherence to safety and fire hazard rules at the Pasir Ris ONE DBSS development, the SCDF said it had conducted checks since.
One of the complaints were the narrow corridors of the blocks of flats which some had found to be less than 1.2m, the stipulated minimum under SCDF rules.
Nonetheless, the SCDF said it had found that the width of the corridors “meets the requirements of the Fire Code.”
The SCDF said it had approved the building plans for Pasir Ris One in 2012.
“These plans fulfilled the then prevailing design requirements, such as BCA’s Code on accessibility for the Built Environment, which facilitates access for wheelchair users, and the SCDF Fire Code, which provides for the safe conduct of emergency evacuation,” the SCDF said.
It added that it had also found that the fire-rated doors installed at the residential units do not impede emergency evacuation along the corridors as they open inward.
As for the metal gates of some units which are across from each other and which owners say cannot be opened at the same time because of the narrow corridor, the SCDF said “most metal gates, which open outwards, do not pose any obstruction to evacuation.”
“However, the SCDF has found some metal gates that could potentially cause obstruction if the gates of opposite-facing units are opened at the same time.
“The SCDF has therefore instructed the architect of Pasir Ris One to take immediate action to rectify these metal gates.”
The developers of Pasir Ris ONE, SingHaiyi Group and Kay Lim Holdings, said on Tuesday that it will deal with the issue “as soon as possible”.
The developer said it will bear all the costs of the changes.
The developers also said they will address the other issue of the exposed gas vents and pipes which run along the ceiling of the common corridors. The developer said it plans to install false ceilings to cover up the eyesore and for aesthetic purposes.
“We are actively working with our contractor and suppliers to effect the changes as soon as possible, and are in the process of communicating this to the residents,” said a spokesman for the developers.
Here are two videos, of the narrow corridor and the exposed ceiling at Pasir Ris ONE:
