HDB Window Inspection: $10,000 Fine if your window falls

The windows in your HDB flat or private home can deteriorate over time because they are exposed to weather elements 24/7. If not maintained properly, they can fall off and result in serious injury, or worse.

As the owner or occupant, you are responsible for the upkeep of the windows in your home.

According to The Straits Times, in 2018 and 2019, there were around 49 cases of windows falling down from buildings per year. Most of the time, windows fall out due to poor maintenance. And if your house's windows drops out, you will be fined $10,000 and (or) jailed up to a year!

HDB Window Safety

These days, you can access quite a lot of information about your windows online via the official HDB windows maintenance website (linked). HDB recommends that you check your windows every 6 months, and lists the strict safety requirements they have regarding windows.

If you're looking for a new set of windows with installation, you will need to browse through HDB and BCA's approved list of windows contractors.

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HDB Falling Windows

When HDB windows fall, they can injure like a fragmentation grenade. "They don't need a direct hit to injure because they shatter. A window is sharp, heavy and made of glass," says Mr Lee Koon Peng.

He emphasises: "And if it does hit a person directly, the consequences will be very, very bad." Mr Lee, knows his windows well. He is a senior associate engineer at the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and has seen it all in the over decades of inspecting windows.

He recalls a case from 2010, when he attended to an incident involving a coffee shop cleaner. She was injured after an upper-storey window hit a parapet on the second storey even though it landed away from her. The glass shattered and the shards cut her leg, but thankfully, the injuries were minor.

In 2013, a falling window hit a parked car and smashed its rear window. The car was unoccupied. In both cases, the home owners were not around. Even office buildings and skyscrapers are not spared from poor window maintenance.

In 2009, a large window panel fell from one of the upper storeys of AIA Tower, crashing into the crowded CBD street below during office hours. Again, thanks to pure luck, no one was seriously hurt. Mr Lee reads out this list of incidents with a sense of familiarity. He had attended to all these cases as it is his job to find out why it happened and how to stop it from happening again. If necessary, the authorities can mete out severe penalties to homeowners whose windows fall due to the lack of maintenance - up to a year in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Each memory is a reminder that dangers are aplenty in high-rise Singapore and why there are lives that depend on him to do his job well. Mr Lee says: "Even when I visit my relatives' and friends' homes during Chinese New Year, I will be checking their windows to see if they are okay. It has become a habit."

This section was written by Ng Jun Sen for The New Paper in 2016.

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HDB Windows Inspection

Are your HDB windows still safe for use? Follow these simple maintenance tips for these 3 common types of HDB windows in Singapore - casement, sliding, and louvre windows - to check if your HDB windows are up to current regulations and safe for use.

HDB Casement windows

1. Check that the stainless steel rivets are not broken or corroded, and that the screws are not loose or rusty
2. Use a cloth or brush to clean dirt from moving parts such as the hinge and friction stay, hinge tracks, sliding shoes and pivot points
3. Check all glass panes for cracks and ensure that they are not loose. Replace if needed.
4. Change all rivets from aluminium to stainless steel. Tighten loose screws to prevent windows from suddenly slamming shut.

HDB Sliding windows

1. Check that the safety stoppers and angle strips are in place or not damaged. Replace if worn out.
2. To make sure the window panels slide smoothly, always clean the tracks using a small brush and soft cloth to remove dirt or any obstruction along the tracks.
3. Replace any brittle or broken gasket with a new strip, and ensure that it is fixed tightly into the inner frame.
4. Check glass panes for cracks as well.

HDB Louvred windows

1. For adjustable louvred windows, check that the lever lock works properly, and that the glass panels are secured firmly by the glass clamps and not cracked.
2. For fixed louvred windows, ensure that the timber frame and shielding plate are in good condition.
3. Repaint the frame if the paint starts to peel. Check that the glass panes are secure and have no cracks, too.

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Wash HDB Windows

Wash windows on a cloudy day, or early in the morning. Direct sunlight will dry your cleaning solution too quickly, causing streaks on the glass.

How to clean HDB windows?

Spritz vinegar-water solution on the glass, and use a microfiber cloth, squeegee or handful of newspaper to wipe and buff up the glass.

Singapore HDB Window Safety Day

In the past, to promote window safety, the Building and Construction Agency (BCA) and Housing & Development Board (HDB) teamed up to observe Window Safety Day every June 6 and Dec 12.

It was meant to encourage everyone to be socially responsible and to clean, check and change (if necessary) their windows at least twice a year.

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