Check corridors of HDB flats to ensure fire safety

Dec 17, 2007

IN SEPTEMBER, I wrote to The Straits Times Forum page about errant shopkeepers who obstruct walkways and urged government agencies to step up efforts to ensure that all items beyond the permitted area are cleared by shopkeepers.

More importantly, I called for checks on common corridors of flats by the Housing Board and town councils so that action can be taken against irresponsible flat dwellers who strew plants, clothes and shoe racks across the slightly more than 2m-wide walkways.

A few weeks later, another reader sent similar feedback to The Sunday Times. There was no response at all to both letters.

Now, we have the Dover Road fire which broke out on the lift landing of an HDB block, because of discarded furniture. Fortunately, there were no fatalities.

While the focus is on why the fire occurred, and the repairs that need to be done to restore residents' lives to normalcy, we should also look at preventive measures that need to be put in place.

Does the HDB act only when there are fatalities, as in the Hougang Avenue 8 minimart blaze on Sept 13 when two people died?

No doubt its subsequent steps were commendable, but there are still many irresponsible flat owners. I recently saw a wooden bench the size of a sofa sitting along one corridor.

Common walkways are important access routes for residents to move freely in times of emergency. Even in normal circumstances, you need to manoeuvre dexterously to move along the corridor and reach the stairwell.

I strongly urge government agencies to intensify their checks - including common corridors of flats - and issue stern warnings to irresponsible flat owners.

Guidelines should also be in place on what is allowed in common corridors, and what is not.

Hopefully, there will be no more such fire incidents in HDB blocks.

Larry Keh Chun Woon