PETALING JAYA: Malaysia has yet to establish fire retardance standards for safety netting, Sirim Bhd (Standard & Industrial Research Institute of Malaysia) says.
“Occupational safety and health matters in the construction industry fall under the jurisdiction of the Occupational Safety and Health Department (DOSH).
“As such, safety netting used at construction sites is subject to DOSH’s general workplace safety oversight.
“Fire performance requirements for construction materials are typically defined by relevant authorities, safety guidelines and project owners, particularly for high-rise developments where there is a higher potential risk to life and property,” said a Sirim spokesman.
In this regard, Sirim said it was fully able to certify the fire retardance of materials using internationally-recognised fire test methods to assess the ignitability of products.
“Where fire-retardant or low-ignitability performance is required or encouraged by authorities or project specifications, Sirim is able to support verification through recognised fire-testing methods to enable industry stakeholders to make informed decisions based on verified performance, rather than unsubstantiated claims,” it said.
“The Tai Po incident underscores the importance of evaluating materials used in high-rise construction not only for their functional purpose but also for their behaviour under fire conditions.
“Temporary safety installations, including netting, can influence how a fire develops and spreads if their ignitability and reaction-to-fire characteristics are not adequately considered.
“In Malaysia, preventing or minimising similar incidents requires fire risk to be addressed proactively from the planning stage onwards. This includes clear fire safety requirements, the use of materials that have been tested and shown to meet applicable fire performance criteria, proper installation and site management and continued awareness of fire risks in high-rise construction,” said the national testing and certification body.
Meanwhile, Fire and Rescue Department director-general Datuk Seri Nor Hisham Mohammad said fire retardance safety netting was not under its jurisdiction.
The department currently regulates 28 categories of materials.
Flammability of building materials also came under the spotlight when combustible external cladding at the United Kingdom’s Grenfell Tower burnt in June 2017. The fire at the 24-storey block of flats in London resulted in 70 found dead at the scene, while two died in hospital, along with 70 injured.
Nor Hisham said a nearly similar situation took place in February 2018 as well as May 2023 when the (now former) EPF building at Jalan Gasing, Petaling Jaya, caught fire.
Both incidents were attributed to sparks from maintenance or renovation work igniting flammable cladding panels on the exterior. The 2018 fire was linked to the use of a torch for (membrane) waterproofing, while the 2023 blaze was likely due to ongoing refurbishment work.
“Although there was no loss of life, it happened to an office building and exposed its weakness in terms of compartmentalisation (of space) as well as the use of materials such as combustible external cladding,” said Nor Hisham.
“These incidents should be made important learning points to strengthen the administration of fire safety.
“Such failures expose systemic weaknesses that must be viewed together with building bylaws, certification of construction materials and compliance with fire safety regulations.
“This is by no means limited to high-rise buildings, but all categories of buildings, to ensure a robust, consistent and continuous approach to managing fire risks,” he said.
