The new Periodic Façade Inspection (PFI) regime will take effect from 1 January 2022. This is aimed at helping building owners detect and address façade deterioration in a timely manner. About 30,000 buildings will be required to undergo façade inspection within the first seven-year inspection cycle. Responsible parties, such as building owners, Town Councils and management corporations, have a duty to ensure that building exteriors are properly maintained and thus façade inspections will need to be conducted every seven years for buildings that are more than 13 metres tall, once they are over 20 years old.
Here are 3 things you need to know:
(1) Responsible parties must appoint a Competent Person (i.e. Professional Engineer or Registered Architect with a Certificate in Façade Inspection), who can be assisted by a Façade Inspector (FI), to conduct the façade inspections. The Competent Person will need to propose appropriate rectification works if deterioration is detected. Responsible parties must ensure that these works are carried out within a period specified by BCA.
(2) BCA will issue advisories to responsible parties at least one year before their building is due for inspection. This will provide responsible parties with ample time to plan for the inspection. Responsible parties may consider scheduling their Repair and Redecoration (R&R) works or external building maintenance works to coincide with the PFI, which may allow for cost savings. You can play your part by:
- Appointing a Competent Person promptly. The Competent Person can be either a Professional Engineer (PE) or Registered Architect (RA);
- Providing access to perimeter of the building to be inspected by your Competent Person;
- Providing the necessary access system such as suspended working platform/gondola, mobile elevating work platform or scaffold or a combination of these to carry out the close-range facade inspection;
- Preparing a set of approved plans and façade drawings;
- Providing information on the maintenance and history of the building, particularly if façade repair work histories had been carried out and its locations, i.e. water ingress, etc.;
- Providing previous periodic inspection reports (if available) for reference;
- Carrying out rectification works and/or monitoring of defects highlighted by your Competent Person promptly;
- Maintaining your building façade in good condition at all times.
(3) To ensure that there are sufficient skilled persons to conduct façade inspections, BCA has worked with the industry to develop and implement a mandatory training course – “Certificate in Façade Inspection”. The course equips participants with the essential knowledge and skills required to conduct façade inspections. The course is offered by the BCA Academy and the Institution of Engineers Singapore Academy. As of September 2021, there are 149 Competent Persons and 140 registered Façade Inspectors.
The related PFI regulations can be downloaded at https://sso.agc.gov.sg:
- Building Control (Periodic Inspection of Buildings and Building Façades) Regulations 2021
- Building Control (Meaning of Exterior Features) Regulations 2021
Should you require assistance for any inspection related services, do contact us. We would be happy to further advise.
For more information, visit: https://www1.bca.gov.sg/about-us/news-and-publications/media-releases/2021/10/21/new-regulations-for-periodic-inspection-of-building-fa%c3%a7ades-to-start-from-1-january-2022