Fire Safety Guidelines Under HDB Home Office Scheme

Own a Home Office in Singapore and Unsure of the Fire Safety Guidelines?

There are quite a few fire safety guidelines under the HDB’s Home Office Scheme. This guide aims to clarify your doubts and answer any questions you may have, and equip you with the Fire Safety essentials of running a business from the comfort of your home.

At the end of this post, you will be equipped with knowledge of the fire safety rules pertaining to your home business under the Housing and Development Board (HDB) rules in accordance with fire safety requirements set by the Fire Safety and Shelter Department (FSSD) of the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF).

Your Home Office will also be equipped and protected by a full set of firefighting equipment that conforms to these rules and guidelines.

Who Should Be Interested in Fire Safety Regulations?

Everybody! However, for this article, we will focus on Home Business Owners under HDB’s Home Office Scheme.

Under HDB’s guidelines, these business are permitted to be operated from the comfort of your home:

Permissible Businesses

• Accountancy services
• Architectural services
• Consultancy services (e.g. business, engineering, IT/ management, education etc.)
• Design/ advertising services
• Transportation services
• Estate agency
• Insurance/ financial planning services
• Technology-based/ knowledge-intensive business
• Trading office

What if my Business is Not Part of the List of Permissible Business Above?

Fret not! Your business may still be conducted from your home but only as an administration office. According to HDB, any business activities carried out in the flats must be administrative and no clients or customers are allowed to visit the flat.

What Should I be Aware of as a Home Business Owner in Singapore?

The first thing you need to familiarise yourself with is HDB’s Home Office Scheme Regulations and Guidelines. Over and above the ordinary safety considerations can be found here.

Your business must fulfil the regulatory requirements of other government authorities and obtain the necessary licences/ approvals. In particular, you need to be able to fulfil Fire Safety Regulations set by the Fire Safety and Shelter Department (FSSD).

In accordance to FSSD regulations, you must install the following in the office area:

• A 2KG AB Dry Chemical Powder Fire Extinguisher
• A single-station Smoke Detector (battery operated, no wiring needed)

Why is the Fire Safety Requirement Necessary?

This FSSD safety requirement is necessary and requirement over and above normal home Fire Safety regulations as there is a higher risk of combustible materials in a Home Office in Singapore.

Combustible materials such as cardboard files, copier paper, files and office equipment in a home office are at a slightly higher risk of igniting compared to an ordinary home not used as a Home Office. Therefore, it is mandatory for a fire extinguisher and smoke detector.

Are there any Exemptions?

In short, NO.

It is mandatory to abide by FSSD's safety requirement to ensure the premise is safe for occupancy.

The good news is that the FSSD requirements for Home Offices are more lenient than those for commercial premises.

Where can I Purchase them?

From us! At Fire Guard, we provide an easy, fully compliant solution to the FSSD requirements. Check out our FSSD compliant products below. A Home Office Fire Safety Package will get you free delivery to your home office.

If you'd like to take a step further, our Home Fire Safety Kit is the most popular where it includes an additional fire blanket that can be used to throw over the fire or to cover you like a blanket to protect you from fire. At $147, it comes with free delivery included.

What if I am the Sole Proprietor or Business Owner in my Home Office?

The FSSD requirement is not based on the presence of employees - installing a fire extinguisher and smoke detector is a minimum safety requirement for any home office, including those under HDB’s Home Office Scheme.

How can I Comply with the FSSD and HDB’s Home Office Scheme Guidelines?

At Fire Guard, we pride ourselves on offering our customers fuss free and easy to install solutions for your office, be it home or conventional. Our solutions are fully compliant with applicable laws and guidelines and our products are rigorously tested in accordance to industry and governmental standards.

We provide free deliveries for purchases above $70, which means that your home office fire safety kit is eligible for free delivery. Add to cart now!