Singapore will introduce new fire-safety requirements for scaffold netting used outside buildings, with fire-retardant materials becoming mandatory for construction projects awarded from March 1, 2027.
The new requirement was announced by Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash at the Workplace Safety and Health Awards 2026. It will apply regardless of the material used for the scaffold and is part of a broader effort to reduce the risk of fires spreading at worksites.
Under the new rules, scaffold netting must meet specified fire-test standards recognised by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Singapore Civil Defence Force. The accepted standards will include relevant testing systems from British Standards, Japanese Industrial Standards and the US National Fire Protection Association.
Responsibility will extend across the construction supply chain. Manufacturers, suppliers, scaffold contractors and workplace occupiers will all have to ensure that the netting used meets the required specifications.
MOM said it will issue a circular detailing the scope of the requirements, acceptable fire-test standards and compliance measures, including labelling and certification. The ministry has already listed its new scaffold fire-safety requirements in its 2026 workplace-safety circulars.
The rules will become stricter from March 1, 2028. From that date, fire-retardant scaffold netting will also have to be certified by certification bodies accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council, providing independent third-party verification of compliance.
The move comes as Singapore continues to review construction and maintenance fire risks following the deadly Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong in November 2025. The blaze spread rapidly through multiple residential towers, with investigators examining the role of combustible materials and scaffolding-related components in the fire’s spread.
Singapore had already announced another scaffold-related safety measure earlier this year. From Jan. 1, 2027, the maximum period timber scaffolds can remain in use will be reduced from nine months to three months. The measure is intended to reduce the amount of combustible timber present at worksites and lower fire risks associated with prolonged use.
Existing fire-safety requirements already address the use of safety nets at worksites. Singapore’s fire code, for example, prohibits hot work and activities that generate sparks within three metres of a safety net unless the work is appropriately isolated or shielded with non-combustible material.
MOM is also urging employers and industry stakeholders to prepare early by reviewing project schedules, procurement arrangements and contractual obligations before the March 2027 deadline. Companies have been advised to keep firefighting equipment and access routes unobstructed and to keep combustible materials and potential ignition sources away from scaffolding and netting.
The changes reflect Singapore’s effort to strengthen workplace safety standards as construction methods, materials and fire risks evolve. Rather than focusing only on the scaffold structure itself, the new rules target materials that could contribute to flame spread around buildings under construction.
The bigger question now is how quickly construction companies and suppliers can adapt to the new requirements—and whether the tougher scaffold rules will significantly reduce the risk of fast-moving fires at Singapore worksites.
