Reviewing specifications of household shelters in HDB flats to make them accessible for wheelchair users

Questions:

Miss Rachel Ong: To ask the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether the Government will review the specifications for household shelters in HDB flats, including the current 700 mm door opening, to ensure accessibility for wheelchair users; (b) if so, whether this will apply to new flats; and (c) what options are available to wheelchair users living in existing flats.

Miss Rachel Ong: To ask the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Home Affairs (a) whether SCDF has assessed if the current 700 mm door opening requirement for household shelters adequately accommodates wheelchair users; and (b) whether the technical requirements can be reviewed to provide a wider door opening while maintaining the necessary structural and blast-protection standards.

Answer:

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

1. Every resident naturally wants their family to be safe at home. And for some households – particularly those caring for wheelchair users – the design of a household shelter can raise practical concerns.

2. Household shelters are designed to protect occupants from blast effects and fragmentation. To ensure that they provide the necessary protection for occupants, the Singapore Civil Defence Force issues technical specifications for shelters, including the door dimensions. These requirements serve a single purpose: keeping the people who take shelter inside them safe.

3. As shelter doors are the weakest part of the shelter, the 700 mm door opening requirement was set to ensure the shelter’s structural integrity and protective effectiveness. While the 700 mm door opening is sufficient for most wheelchairs, the structural and protection requirements for shelters may limit the extent to which ideal barrier-free access measures can be incorporated. The raised door kerb, for example, is another necessary protection feature that restricts barrier-free access in the same way. As such, caregivers should help wheelchair users enter a household shelter when the Public Warning System “Alarm” signal is sounded.