Fire safety standards at coffee shops in HDB blocks

Question:

Ms Sylvia Lim: To ask the Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Government assesses that the occurrence of fires at coffee shops and eating houses within HDB blocks is an area of increasing concern; and (b) how does the Singapore Civil Defence Force monitor fire safety standards at such establishments.

Answer:

Mr K Shanmugam, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs:

1. Under the Fire Code, food and beverage establishments, including coffee shops, are subject to a comprehensive suite of requirements to minimise fire risk. These requirements include measures to reduce the risk of a fire from cooking-related activities as well as to ensure the safety of people in the coffeeshop in the event of a fire.

2. To ensure Fire Code compliance, the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) also conducts enforcement checks on food and beverage establishments. These include both scheduled visits and unannounced inspections based on public feedback. These inspections comp lement the annual fire safety checks conducted at coffee shops by the Housing & Development Board (HDB), as well as other regulations imposed as part of HDB's licensing conditions.

3. These fire safety measures and enforcement checks remain adequate. The number of fires at coffeeshops in HDB blocks has remained largely constant between 2021 and 2025, ranging from 15 to 19 cases annually. This translates to under 1% of the total fire in cidents per annum. Nonetheless, SCDF will continue to monitor fire trends involving HDB coffeeshops and work with related agencies such as the HDB and NEA to take the appropriate intervention measures if required.

4. Nevertheless, it is important that we remain vigilant and mitigate fire risks as best we can. We urge all stall operators to uphold good fire safety practices and do their part to keep our community safe.