Second Reading of the Civil Defence Shelter and Fire Safety (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill – Speech by Mr Goh Pei Ming, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Home Affairs & Ministry of Social and Family Development

1. Mr Speaker, on behalf of the Senior Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security and the Minister for Home Affairs, I beg to move, “That the Bill be now read a Second Time.”

Introduction

2. As part of our efforts to ensure SCDF’s regulatory regimes remain relevant and up to date, we have reviewed the Civil Defence Shelter Act and the Fire Safety Act to tighten SCDF’s regulatory oversight over regulated shelter products and to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses involved in petroleum and flammable materials (or P&FM) activities.

3. This Bill covers the following themes.

(a) One, to strengthen SCDF’s oversight over regulated shelter products, and empower SCDF to take appropriate actions against parties in the supply chain for non-compliance;

(b) Two, to introduce a class licensing regime for the regulation of P&FM activities;

(c) Three, to allow SCDF to appoint supplementary enforcement officers to conduct compliance checks for the transport of P&FM; and

(d) Four, to clarify the responsibilities of premise owners and occupiers in relation to fire safety measures.

4. We also have other miscellaneous amendments. Allow me to first explain the key amendments in turn.

Key Amendments

Enhancing Regulatory Controls over the Supply of Regulated Shelter Products

5. Today, SCDF sets the specifications and standards for shelter products, such as household and storey shelter doors. These standards ensure that occupants are adequately protected from blast effects during a bombardment. One important way we ensure only compliant products are installed in our buildings is by mandating that suppliers of shelter products must obtain a Certificate of Conformity (or COC) that attests these products meet SCDF specifications and standards before they can be used in Singapore. These COCs are issued by private certification bodies recognised by the Singapore Accreditation Council (or SAC). As part of this process, these private certification bodies affirm that SCDF’s specifications and standards have been met through tests by accredited laboratories.

6. At present, if a certification body is found to be non-compliant, SCDF can work with SAC to suspend or withdraw its accreditation. We have also placed requirements on homeowners under Section 4 of Civil Defence Shelter Act to maintain their shelters in accordance with SCDF’s regulations. However, SCDF has no enforcement powers against other parties in the supply chain. These include test laboratories, suppliers, and installers involved in certifying, supplying, or installing non-compliant products.

7. The amendments will close this gap, and give SCDF enforcement powers against errant laboratories, suppliers and installers of non-compliant shelter products.

8. I should emphasise that to date, SCDF has not observed any non-compliance regarding shelter products. However, we have seen cases of non-compliance involving fire safety products such as fire-rated doors, which are similarly regulated. In December 2018, a COC holder for fire-rated doors had utilised its certification status and provided a non-certified company with 50 labels to be pasted on non-compliant doors that were then installed in various buildings. Therefore, the proposed amendments are anticipatory, to allow SCDF to deal with cases involving non-compliant shelter products, to take action against errant parties in the supply chain, and to help safeguard public safety.

9. Let me elaborate.

10. Clause 3 introduces a new Part 2A in the Civil Defence Shelter Act to strengthen controls over regulated shelter products. This has been adapted from Part 5 of the Fire Safety Act, which has proven effective in regulating fire safety products and ensure these new controls are grounded in a tested and familiar framework. Let me highlight four key aspects that the new Part 2A introduces.

11. First, there are new offences covering parties across the shelter products supply chain who may compromise public safety. These offences cover (i) accredited laboratories that issue false test reports; (ii) persons who provide false information to accredited certification bodies to obtain CoC; (iii) certification bodies that certify non-compliant shelter products; (iv) suppliers who pass off non-compliant products as certified ones; and (v) installers who fit non-compliant products or install them in a way that undermines the shelter’s ability to function safely. These offences apply not just to deliberate wrongdoing, but also to cases where parties were reckless or negligent in carrying out their responsibilities.

12. Second, SCDF will be able to instruct a relevant party, whether the certification body, supplier, or CoC holder to send a shelter product for testing at an accredited laboratory, when there are grounds to believe the product may be non-compliant. This will allow SCDF to determine whether the product is compliant.

13. Third, if a product is found to be non-compliant, SCDF may direct the relevant parties in the supply chain to address the problem. For example, SCDF may direct the relevant parties who are distributing the product to recall the product, or to stop supplying it, or remove the product from the shelters where they had been installed. SCDF may also direct the relevant parties to dispose the recalled non-compliant product, or rectify contraventions of the specifications issued under the Civil Defence Shelter Act for products that have been installed. SCDF may also direct the certification body to cancel the CoC for a particular product, or temporarily stop issuing new CoCs to a person whom SCDF has reason to believe has supplied non-compliant shelter products. This allows SCDF to take swift action to protect innocent persons from products which are non-compliant and which put people in danger because they do not meet the specified safety standards.

14. Fourth, if a party refuses or fails to comply with SCDF’s direction, SCDF may enter the premises, such as a supplier’s warehouse, to carry out the direction such as to cease the supply of non-compliant shelter products. In most cases, SCDF will give the owner or occupier at least 24 hours’ notice or obtain a warrant from a Magistrate before entering. However, if SCDF has reasonable grounds to believe that a non-compliant shelter product poses an imminent danger affecting public safety, SCDF may enter the premises without notice or a warrant. This exceptional power may be exercised only with the expressed authorisation of the Commissioner of SCDF. When seeking entry, the authorised officer must produce their SCDF-issued identification card and a document showing the Commissioner's authorisation. These two documents together serve as a safeguard that the power to enter the premises is exercised only by duly authorised officers.

15. Today, the number of entities involved in supply of shelter products is relatively small, for example there are only five approved shelter door suppliers. As we have found these suppliers to generally be compliant, we do not expect SCDF to need to exercise these new powers on a regular basis. However, these powers are important to ensure that SCDF can act promptly when needed, so that shelters provide the required protection.

16. Finally, we will make two further changes to align the Civil Defence Shelter Act with the Fire Safety Act. We will introduce an appeal mechanism to the Minister for Home Affairs for parties aggrieved by SCDF’s directions under the new Part 2A in relation to regulated shelter products. We will also raise the maximum composition sum from $500 to $5,000.

17. In 2024, we have consulted relevant industry stakeholders on the proposed amendments and no concerns were raised. SCDF will also issue circulars and brief relevant stakeholders ahead of operationalising these amendments.

18. Shelters continue to remain a critical component of civil defence protection in times of national emergency. These amendments aim to ensure that the shelters are able to protect our people when the need arises.

Amendments to Fire Safety Act

19. I will now move on to amendments to the Fire Safety Act.

Class Licensing Regime for Lower-Risk P&FM Activities

20. Today, SCDF issues more than 6,500 individual licences annually for the storage, transport and conveyance of P&FM in Singapore.

21. However, not all P&FM activities carry the same fire safety risks. That is why SCDF will introduce a class licensing regime for lower-risk P&FM activities. With a class license, eligible premises will no longer have to apply annually for an individual licence to store P&FM after making a one-time submission to notify SCDF of their storage premises. This will reduce regulatory burden on businesses whilst maintaining fire safety standards. Clause 21 provides for a class licensing regime that will apply in lieu of individual licences for such activities. The categories of premises and their corresponding licensing conditions will be prescribed by the Minister in subsidiary legislation.

22. SCDF will implement the class licensing regime for the storage of P&FM and it will cover four categories of lower-risk premises: (i) petrol stations; (ii) construction sites; (iii) Category C and D laboratories as specified in the Singapore Standards, which are laboratories assessed to be of low and minimal fire hazard risk respectively; and (iv) buildings which store diesel solely to fuel their emergency generators. These four categories account for approximately 15% of all P&FM storage licensees. They were identified in view of their lower inherent risk characteristics such as controlled storage and dispensing settings, and comparatively lower risk of fire spread. There were no reported fires originating from these premises between 2020 and 2025.

23. All other P&FM storage facilities, such as refineries and petrochemical facilities, will continue to require individual licences. The transport and conveyance of P&FM will also remain licenced activities.

24. There is one other P&FM activity – dispensing – that is also currently limited to individual licensed storage premises. Clause 20 allows class licensed premises such as petrol stations to dispense P&FM as part of their business operations, subject to the conditions of the class licence.

25. While the P&FM class licensing regime will reduce regulatory burden on businesses, SCDF will continue to maintain strict oversight of these activities. Businesses must still comply with existing fire safety requirements, and periodic inspections will be done to verify this. Clause 30 makes it an offence for any licence applicant or class licensee to knowingly provide false or misleading information to SCDF, or to be reckless or negligent as to whether the information they provide to SCDF is false or misleading. SCDF will not hesitate to take stern enforcement action against such behaviour by licence applicants and class licensees.

26. SCDF has engaged companies in the P&FM sector, and they have welcomed the class licensing regime, which will reduce regulatory compliance burden on businesses when implemented. SCDF will engage the P&FM licensees ahead of the implementation of the class licensing regime.

Appointing Supplementary Enforcement Officers to Conduct Compliance Checks for Transport-Related P&FM Activities

27. Next, I will address the proposal to appoint Supplementary Enforcement Officers (SEOs) to conduct compliance checks for transport-related P&FM activities. This expands the roles of SEOs by outsourcing more straightforward functions and allows SCDF to focus its limited manpower resources on higher risk areas.

28. We amended the Fire Safety Act in 2019 to allow SEOs to be appointed to conduct fire safety inspections for buildings and to exercise certain enforcement powers during such inspections, such as the issuance of Fire Hazard Abatement Notices for simple and straightforward cases. Since then, SEOs have proven themselves up to the task. They have strengthened our enforcement presence on the ground, while enabling SCDF officers to dedicate attention to more complex cases.

29. To grant SEOs powers to conduct checks on vehicles transporting P&FM, we need to specify in greater detail SCDF’s powers pertaining to transport of P&FM so that it is clear what powers SEOs will be exercising. We have done so in Clause 24. Apart from clarifying existing powers such as stopping and inspecting vehicles transporting P&FM, and taking samples of the P&FM for testing, Clause 24 will also empower SCDF to direct a vehicle to be driven along approved routes to a suitable location for the safe disposal of the transported P&FM.

30. Meanwhile, Clause 9 will allow SCDF to appoint SEOs to exercise relevant powers under Clause 24. The end result is that SEOs will be able to conduct checks of vehicles transporting P&FM that are, for example, entering Singapore or restricted areas such as the Central Business District. If non-compliance is detected, the case will be handed over to SCDF officers, who will conduct further investigations and take the appropriate enforcement action against errant parties.

31. I want to assure Members that SCDF will continue to ensure that the SEOs are suitably trained prior to their deployment. In addition, SCDF will continue to implement safeguards that currently apply to existing SEOs, such as requiring the SEOs to wear body-worn cameras, wear SCDF-approved attire and display SCDF-issued identity cards when carrying out their duties. This will ensure that the SEOs are held to high standards of professionalism and minimise the risk of any abuse of authority by these officers.

Greater Clarity on Fire Safety Measures

32. To ensure that SCDF can effectively respond to fire incidents, it is critical that fire safety measures such as rising mains, fire hydrants, and fire engine access roads are kept operational and unobstructed, so they do not hamper SCDF’s firefighting operations. This is regardless of whether the fire safety measures are located inside or outside a building.

33. However, SCDF does encounter such issues from time to time. For example, we have come across unauthorised structures such as temporary tentages which block fire engine access roads or accessways to a building. These are serious fire hazards, and we should hold the relevant persons responsible under the Fire Safety Act.

34. Currently, the Fire Safety Act defines fire hazards broadly to cover situations which would materially hamper SCDF’s firefighting efforts. However, while it is currently clear who is responsible for hazards within a building, it is less clear when it comes to hazards outside of a building.

35. Clause 6 therefore makes clear that a fire hazard includes the obstruction of fire safety measures outside of a building such as fire engine access roads and accessways. For comprehensiveness, it also makes clear that hose reels and rising mains, when installed on the facades of buildings, are external fire safety measures. Clauses 10, 11 and 12 make it clear that obstructing, interfering with, or otherwise failing to keep in proper working order such fire safety measures are serious offences for building owners and occupiers, as well as any person who causes or contributes to such an outcome. Building owners or occupiers who do not take reasonable steps to remove or prevent fire hazards will also be held liable.

36. These changes will collectively strengthen SCDF’s ability to ensure the upkeep, non-obstruction and maintenance of all fire safety measures.

Other Amendments

37. I will now move on to other miscellaneous amendments to the Fire Safety Act.

Extension of Licence or Permit Duration

38. In line with the Whole-of-Government pro-enterprise efforts to reduce regulatory burden on businesses, Clause 26 increases the maximum duration of any licence or permit issued under Part 6 of the Fire Safety Act from three years to five years. Notwithstanding this, licensees and permit holders must remain fully responsible for ensuring their P&FM premises, vehicles and activities continue to comply fully with licensing conditions at all times. I want to assure Members that SCDF will still subject licensees to verification checks and will not hesitate to take errant licensees to task.

Tenure of Inquiry Panels

39. Clauses 7 and 13 empowers the Minister for Home Affairs to appoint a member of the Registered Inspectors Inquiry Panel and the Fire Safety Engineers Inquiry Panel respectively for a period as determined by the Minister, instead of a fixed term of two years.

Repeal of the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition)(Amendment) Act 2019

40. Clause 33 of the Bill repeals the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition)(Amendment) Act 2019 (or CWPAA).

41. Currently, chemicals listed under the Chemical Weapons Convention, or the CWC for short, are regulated by Singapore Customs under the Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act 2000, and I will refer to these chemicals as “scheduled chemicals”. All entities involved in various activities related to scheduled chemicals, including acquiring, producing, or stockpiling, are to apply to Singapore Customs for a licence.

42. In 2019, the CWPAA was passed to strengthen our regulatory control over the transportation of scheduled chemicals within Singapore. Specifically, it would have required licenced entities which wanted to transport scheduled chemicals above the prescribed amount within Singapore to seek approval from Singapore Customs.

43. However, before operationalising the CWPAA, the Government reviewed the existing transport controls and assessed that it would be more resource-effective to align the transport controls for scheduled chemicals and other chemicals within Singapore, andas the National Environment Agency (or NEA) and SCDF were already regulating the transportation of hazardous substances and P&FM respectively, it made sense to expand both agencies’ mandates to also cover scheduled chemicals. Indeed, the transport controls in the CWPAA had themselves taken reference from NEA and SCDF’s practices under the respective regulatory regimes.

44. We effected regulating of transport of scheduled chemicals under NEA and SCDF in 2023 via amendments to legislation and subsidiary legislation under the Environmental Protection and Management Act and the Fire Safety Act. To date, we have not received any adverse feedback for this initiative.

45. With these changes, persons transporting scheduled chemicals have benefitted from the streamlined arrangement as they are only required to either apply to NEA or SCDF, depending on the type of chemical being transported. There is no need to separately apply to Singapore Customs for transport approval. With processes working well since 2023, we are hereby repealing the CWPAA.

46. For the avoidance of doubt, the repeal affects only the CWPAA. The Chemical Weapons (Prohibition) Act continues to be in force, and Singapore remains fully compliant with our international obligations under the CWC.

Conclusion

47. Let me now say a few words about the broader state of fire safety in Singapore. Now, this bill focuses on specific aspects of our wide-ranging fire safety regime – from how we regulate specific fire safety measures, to how we can simplify and extend various licenses for businesses, and these are meaningful improvements.

48. However, members of this House may wonder why we are pursuing amendments in areas where there are generally no pressing safety concerns. And at the same time, there have been a series of news reports this year about various fire incidents in our HDB flats, commercial shops and industrial buildings. This is borne out in data too – the SCDF responded to more than 2,000 fire calls in 2025, which is a 10% increase compared to 2021. Some may ask why are we not implementing more aggressive regulations to deal with these other aspects of fire safety?

49. Now, we take each and every incident seriously, because behind each fire are families and business owners who have to struggle to overcome adversity and pain when lives and property are irrevocably lost.

50. I have spoken on many occasions in this House on our strategies to improve fire safety in our HDB flats, our commercial shops and industrial buildings – whether through increasing public education, strengthening enforcement to ensure compliance with our regulations, or tightening our regulations on dangerous items such as modified batteries in active mobility devices. Some of our amendments today will add to this, such as our amendments to clarify the roles and responsibilities for fire safety measures outside of a building. But I would like to reassure the House that there is much ongoing work beyond this Bill to improve fire safety in our heartlands, much of it occurring behind the scenes as we go about our everyday lives. And the good thing is that we remain in a position of strength. Our overall fire fatality rate remains amongst the lowest internationally, according to a report by the International Association of Fire and Rescue Services. The incidence of residential fires has also decreased slightly, from 0.067% in 2021 to 0.065% in 2025, even as our housing stock has actually increased over the same period.

51. So let me assure Members that even though this Bill does not revisit our broader strategies to improve fire safety in our HDB flats, commercial shops and industrial buildings, these areas remain a key priority for the SCDF.

52. As for the amendments before the House today, they will strengthen our civil defence shelter and fire safety regulatory regimes respectively. They will reduce regulatory burden on lower-risk activities, while ensuring that SCDF can undertake enforcement action where needed. They reflect our commitment to act early, strengthen our frameworks, and keeping our fire safety regime effective. And they underscore a critical point: if we work together – building owners, occupiers, businesses, suppliers – we can continue to safeguard Singapore’s fire safety and civil defence preparedness efforts, and ensure a safe and secure Singapore.

53. Mr Speaker, I beg to move.