Investigations show that about 80% of the fallen windows were casement windows. The majority of them had fallen due to corrosion of the aluminum rivets holding the friction stays, as well as a result of wear and tear over time. Besides maintenance and rough handling, the other possible causes are poor design and workmanship.

Windows are subject to wear and tear because homeowners open and close them daily. Homeowners must check their windows regularly, and repair them if they are loose, to ensure that their windows are always safe and secure.

It is the homeowner's responsibility to check and maintain his windows regularly to ensure they are safe.

The homeowners may be held liable if a window in their unit falls, as it is their responsibility to ensure that their windows are maintained in good condition.

The 2 key requirements in the window legislation that was made effective from 1 October 2004 are:

1. Installation of Windows

Any person who wishes to install/repair windows must engage an approved window contractor to undertake the work.

2. Retrofitting of Casement Windows

Aluminium rivets fitted on the geometry stays (commonly known as friction stays) of casement windows in residential buildings (including service apartment buildings) must be replaced with those made of stainless steel (of type 304).

The owners of the individual residential unit are responsible to engage approved window contractors to undertake the retrofitting work.

Windows in detached house, semi-detached house, terrace house or linked house, which are not comprised in any strata title plan, and windows located on the lowest level of any buildings are exempted from the order.

If the windows in your house are of casement-type and they are fitted with aluminium rivets at the variable geometry stays, you are required to carry out the retrofitting by replacing the aluminium rivets with those made of stainless steel of type 304.

A casement window is defined as "a window, or part thereof, which opens on hinges, pivots or variable geometry stays". Based on this definition, top-hung windows are also casement windows. See photographs below.

A 12-month grace period, ending 30 September 2005, has been granted for owners to carry out the retrofitting work. The aluminium rivets fitted on the friction stays of the affected casement windows which have been installed for 5 years or more must be replaced by the end of the grace period. Otherwise, the windows may be retrofitted before they reach their 5th year.

No. The retrofitting order only requires casement windows fitted with aluminium rivets at the friction stays to be retrofitted once.

No. Casements windows that are already fitted with stainless steel rivets are not affected by the retrofitting order. However, it is the responsibility of homeowners to check their windows regularly to ensure that they are safe.

You need not submit any report or inform BCA (or HDB) if your windows are not of casement type or are not fitted with aluminium rivets at the friction stays.

You should engage an approved window contractor to replace the aluminium rivets on your windows. [List of approved window contractors (please go to Regulatory>RW01 Window Contractors)]. The list is regularly updated. Alternatively, you may obtain the list from any HDB Branch Office.

Upon completion of the rivet replacement work, your contractor will provide you with a retrofitting report (Form A (17kb .pdf) for private housing and Form B (17kb .pdf) for HDB flats). You should send a copy of the report to BCA (or HDB if you live in a HDB flat) for records. You must also keep a copy of the report for your own reference.

If your contractor proposes that you repair/change the faulty window or the faulty parts of the windows for the safety reasons, we advised that you change them. Nevertheless, you may request for an explanation from your contractor for the proposal. You may also seek advice from other contractors on this.

You may request that the worker show you his training certificate issued by HDB.

The Government does not fixed a rate for the window retrofitting work, as this should be determine by the market demand. You could negotiate the rate with the contractor. You may also wish to check with a few other contactors to ensure that the rate quoted is reasonable.

Before you allow any contractor to start work, you should understand the components that would be replaced and the total cost of the work. You should also instruct the contractor to seek your consent before he changes other additional components.

No. The safety of windows can still deteriorate after you have retrofitted them if you do not maintain them regularly.

We will have to investigate the cause for the fallen windows. If the incident is caused by poor retrofitting work done or use of wrong material, the trained window installers and the approved contractor may be penalised under the order.

However, if it is due to lack of maintenance, the owner may be penalised under Section 9 of the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act. You may refer to the information on proper maintenance of windows provided at BCA's and HDB's websites.

Section 9 of the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act requires owners to maintain their properties in good condition. This includes house owners to maintain their windows. Should a fallen window is found due to lack of maintenance, the house owner may be penalised under this provision. This Act will be made effective in early 2005.

It is not mandated that homeowners have to engage a trained window contractor to check their windows. Homeowners should check their windows regularly to ensure that they are safe. Both BCA and HDB have provided DIY guides to help homeowners do a simple visual inspection of their windows. If owners are unsure about carrying out the inspection on their own, they can engage a trained window contractor to help them inspect the windows.

Under the Lease, it is the flat lessee's responsibility to maintain their windows in good working condition. HDB has provided simple and useful window maintenance tips and steps for checking of windows in the HDB InfoWEB and the HDB Residents' Handbook. Flat lessees who are unsure or not confident of checking their own windows can engage a trained window contractor to help them inspect their windows.

HDB has decided to carry out a one-off goodwill rivet replacement programme for casement windows installed using aluminium rivets by HDB to help homeowners improve the safety of their windows. This is notwithstanding the fact that the responsibility of window maintenance and repair lies with the homeowner, and not HDB.

The one-off goodwill rivet replacement programme was implemented from April 2004 to April 2005. 43,000 flats benefited from this programme.

Under the Lease, it is the responsibility of the lessees to upkeep their property, which includes windows in their flats. This includes bearing the cost of window maintenance and repair. It is the same for private property owners. In the case of windows which have been installed by HDB, HDB has decided to co-share 50% of the cost of retrofitting windows with the lessee on a goodwill basis to help them improve the safety of their windows.

HDB designs and installs windows in HDB flats according to the prevailing industry standards set by SPRING Singapore. From 1987 to 1998, aluminium rivets were used for the installation of casement windows in HDB flats, as they were the accepted industry standard not just in Singapore, but also internationally.

Where standards have improved, HDB has followed suit. In fact, HDB has switched to the use of stainless steel rivets for casement windows since 1998, ahead of the revised industry standards that were adopted in 2000.

Lessees who are in financial hardship can approach their branch offices who can refer them to the relevant organisations for financial assistance. In addition, HDB will consider allowing lessees under the goodwill rivet replacement programme to pay their share of the replacement cost in instalments, if they are in financial difficulty.

When HDB grants approval for lessees to carry out renovation works, the main consideration is ensuring that the installation does not affect the structural integrity of HDB's building. The renovation permit is not an endorsement of the quality of the lessee's renovation contractor's installation works nor the quality of the materials used. Like all fixtures, the flat lessees need to maintain their windows to ensure that they are safe and functionable.

Under the Lease, it is the responsibility of flat lessees to upkeep their property, which includes windows in their flats. Lessees should engage a trained window contractor to replace the aluminium rivets with stainless steel rivets. Alternatively, lessees can also approach HDB's bulk contractor who is carrying out goodwill window retrofitting works in their area. A list of trained window contractors / HDB's bulk contractors and the indicative price for the works is available on HDB InfoWEB and at the HDB Branch Offices. However, changing the rivets alone does not guarantee that the windows will be safe. Windows are subjected to daily wear and tear when we open and close them. Regular window maintenance is essential for all windows, regardless of whether they are installed with aluminium rivets or stainless steel rivets.