Facade inspections for ageing buildings soon a must: BCA

Singapore

IN VIEW of Singapore's ageing building stock, facade inspections will soon need to be conducted every seven years for buildings that are more than 13 metres tall, once they are over 20 years old.

This was one of the amendments made to the Building Control Act passed in Parliament on Friday.

Other changes include an enhanced regulatory framework for lifts and escalators, and a government mandate for a progressive wage model (PWM) for Singapore residents in the lift maintenance industry.

There are also requirements of basic accessibility features for older buildings that undergo addition and alteration (A&A) works, to improve accessibility for the aged and persons with disabilities.

Under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act, building owners must ensure that building exteriors are properly mainta…