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What can further nudge residents into keeping corridors clear of clutter?

There are still cases of fire in residential buildings in Singapore involving discarded items.

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Although fires involving discarded items fell substantially in 2022, many residents still refuse to follow guidelines on fire safety.

One fire-safety guideline involves keeping at least 1.2m of the common corridors' width clear of clutter.

PHOTO: TNP FILE

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I knew the corridor outside my front door was narrow, but I didn’t know for sure how slim it was until a recent fire safety-related circular prompted me to whip out a measuring tape. The note was about the problem of shoe racks, bikes, plants and more placed in common corridors that are less than 1.2m wide. I, too, was tempted to ignore such nagging, like many people do in neighbourhoods all over Singapore.

When I measured my corridor, it was about 1.2m wide. Any clutter in that narrow space would put me at risk in case of fire. It got me thinking.

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