If BCA exempts my storage platform, do I still need SCDF approval?
Very likely. BCA's exemption covers only the Building Control Act. SCDF's Fire Code defines a storey as any floor or part of a floor, including platforms and mezzanines. SCDF's own enforcement material says racking systems, platforms and mezzanines accessible by occupants must be assessed by a Qualified Person and submitted for plan approval before works start, then inspected by a Registered Inspector before a Fire Safety Certificate is issued.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Mezzanines, Lofts and Storage Platforms in Singapore: BCA, SCDF, URA and JTC Approvals. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
Most mezzanines need approval. BCA exempts only a single-level storage platform in an industrial building up to 4 m high and 50 m² (spans up to 6 m), and timber lofts up to 5 m². Platforms up to 100 m² may use BCA's lodgment route. SCDF treats any platform people use as a storey, so a QP must get fire safety plan approval and an FSC.
More questions on this topic
- Do I need BCA approval for a steel mezzanine in my warehouse?
- Does a mezzanine count as gross floor area (GFA)?
- Can a mezzanine have just one staircase?
- Is a loft in my home allowed without approval?
- What happened in the Toa Payoh mezzanine collapse?
- Who is liable if a contractor installs a mezzanine without approval?
- I am buying a factory unit that already has a mezzanine. What should I check?