What happened in the Toa Payoh mezzanine collapse?
On 28 January 2025 a mezzanine floor and storage racks collapsed in a warehouse unit at 11 Toa Payoh Industrial Park, trapping three people, including two children; four people were taken to hospital. The Straits Times reported that SCDF found no Fire Safety Certificate for the mezzanine and BCA had received no applications for the steel platform and racking system. The tenant said a vendor had installed it in May 2024.
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?
- If BCA exempts my storage platform, do I still need SCDF approval?
- 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?
- 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?