By ordering fire-retardant netting on scaffolds at new worksites, Singapore’s manpower ministry says it will cut the risk of flames spreading. The requirement applies to projects awarded from 1 March 2027, whatever the scaffold is made of. Procurement teams should now be arranging their supplies.
Minister of state for manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash announced the rule on 24 September, in response to the Wang Fuk Court fire in Hong Kong, which killed 168 people in November 2025. Early observations from Hong Kong’s probe cited the use of non-fire-retardant safety nets and canvases as a contributor.
Until 1 March 2028, the ministry says, the Commissioner for Workplace Safety and Health will set interim specifications drawing on recognised fire test standards under British Standards, Japanese Industrial Standards and the US National Fire Protection Association. The Ministry of Manpower has not yet published the individual standard numbers. Until it does, a supplier cannot tell a customer with confidence whether current stock qualifies, and a contractor cannot buy ahead without risk. Nobody has published how much existing netting already meets those standards or what it costs against standard netting, and the premium is the figure that will drive contractor budgets.
The second step is a different test. From 1 March 2028 netting must also be certified by bodies accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council, and the ministry has said only that details will follow ahead of implementation. Suppliers that already hold credible test records are best placed to gain, while importers of uncertified product face the sharpest squeeze. Certifier capacity is the unknown, and a queue at accredited bodies would slow every supplier at once. Contractors should ask now whether netting bought on an interim basis will be accepted later.
Manufacturers, suppliers, scaffold contractors and workplace occupiers will all be responsible for ensuring the netting meets the specifications. A contractor cannot rely on a supplier’s assurance alone, and a supplier cannot assume the buyer will carry the risk. Expect contract clauses on test evidence, labelling and replacement to harden. The ministry has advised employers and industry stakeholders to review project schedules, procurement arrangements and contractual obligations early.
The netting rule sits beside a cut in the permitted use of timber scaffolds from nine months to three months, which takes effect from January 2027 and aims to reduce combustible timber at construction sites. Together the measures push combustible material off site from two directions, and both raise cost: shorter timber use means earlier replacement, and compliant netting presumably costs more than plain mesh. Firms that have not yet priced both into tenders for late 2026 and 2027 risk absorbing the difference.
Projects awarded before 1 March 2027 fall outside the rule as announced, and the ministry has not said whether any retrofit is expected. This leaves a split market in which standard netting may stay on older awards while new awards need the compliant product. The circular, which MOM will issue, is due to set out scope, acceptable standards, labelling and certification. Its standard numbers, its treatment of earlier awards and the first list of accredited certifiers are the three things to watch.