What happened in the Tanjong Pagar demolition collapse?
On 15 June 2023, a wall segment at the second storey of a building under demolition in Tanjong Pagar collapsed and a worker was killed. MOM told Parliament on 4 July 2023 that it was investigating and had issued a full Stop Work Order to the occupier, and that it would review whether measures beyond SS 557, the code of practice for demolition, were needed. The WSH Council's alert called for a PE's method statement and a top-down approach.
From the RRD Field Guide, checked against the sources cited in Demolition and Strip-Out Safety in Singapore: Permits, Structural Stability, Asbestos and Waste. General information, not advice for your project.
The fuller picture
In Singapore, demolition is high-risk construction work needing a permit-to-work system. Hacking non-load-bearing walls and false ceilings is exempt from BCA plan approval, but removing columns, beams, slabs or load-bearing walls needs approved plans, a BCA permit and a PE's method statement. Older buildings need an asbestos survey first, and debris must go through NEA-licensed collectors.
More questions on this topic
- Do I need a BCA permit to strip out an office?
- Is a strip-out 'demolition work' under the WSH regulations?
- Who must prepare the demolition method statement?
- Do I need an asbestos survey before demolition?
- Can demolition debris go into the building's bins?
- What is temporary propping and when is it needed?
- What are the dust and noise rules for demolition?