SINGAPORE – Following the recent spate of lift incidents, the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) will be conducting independent audit checks of passenger lifts around Singapore.
In a Facebook post on Friday (Mar 11), National Development Minister Lawrence Wong said that he had instructed BCA to carry out the checks alongside the investigations by appointed experts that have been launched by individual lift owners.
He added that BCA will be updating lift regulations as part of its ongoing review to enhance standards and ensure compliance by all lift owners, manufacturers and contractors. The review is expected to be completed by the end of the year.
There have been a number of lift incidents in HDB blocks in the past few months. Just last Monday, a lift at an Ang Mo Kio HDB block suddenly shot up 17 storeys, before trapping an Indonesian maid inside for over an hour and a half.
Lianhe Wanbao, The New Paper
A more serious incident occurred in October last year in Jurong, when an elderly woman’s left hand was severed after it got trapped between the doors of the lift she was in.
In a statement, BCA confirmed that it is stepping up its audit checks. The authority also said that if a lift is found to need further investigation, maintenence or rectification works, it would temporarily suspend the lift’s operation in the interest of public safety.
Mr Wong acknowledged that such checks would result in some disruptions to lift operations and inconvenience, and sought residents’ patience and understanding on the matter.
“We want to be thorough in our checks and cannot compromise on safety,” he stressed.
Lianhe Wanbao, Shin Min Daily News, The New Paper, Internet screengrabs
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