Have teams of retirees help inspect windows

Time and again, the Housing Board sends out reminders telling residents to replace aluminium rivets on their casement windows with stainless steel ones.

Still, the latest report showed that most of the cases of windows falling from flats involved casement windows which had dislodged due to corroded aluminium rivets ("Spike in incidents of falling windows"; Dec 12).

If windows fall due to a lack of maintenance, home owners could be fined or jailed.

However, the authorities need to understand that it is not easy for home owners to regularly check the condition of rivets, especially if they are seniors or struggling to cope with daily challenges.

Also, not all home owners have the capability to decide whether the rivets are still in good condition.

Could more help be rendered to such home owners to prevent further unwanted accidents?

I propose that the town councils and residents' committees work out a plan to do this.

They could set up a team, perhaps comprising retirees living in the constituency, to remind residents and visit homes to inspect the windows. A small fee could be charged for each visit, with additional charges if repairs are needed.

This way, residents can have peace of mind and retirees can keep themselves occupied.

Lim Tong Wah

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on December 14, 2016, with the headline Have teams of retirees help inspect windows. Subscribe