Windows have been falling from heights in a worrying trend, echoing what happened five years ago when all casement windows in high-rise homes had to be modified to keep them in place.

The authorities are now urging high-rise home owners to be more pro-active about maintaining their windows and installing safety features.

Despite the fines and jail terms for breaching window safety regulations, and awareness campaigns, 71 windows fell from residential high-rise buildings last year, up from 44 in 2008.

It is not known where those windows were located, but 33 were casements and 29 were sliding windows. A joint statement from the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) and the Housing Board (HDB) yesterday said a cause for concern was in more sliding windows falling out.

Those numbers almost doubled from 16 in 2008 to 29 last year. For this year, up to May, more sliding windows fell out than any other kind.

The agencies urged residents installing new sliding windows to include safety features like angle strips and safety stoppers.

They said that windows dislodge and fall for two main reasons: lack of maintenance, or failure to replace the aluminium rivets in casement windows with stainless steel ones.

In 2005, 95 casement windows fell from high-rise homes, largely because the aluminium rivets had degraded.

The incidence was greatly reduced after a compulsory window retrofitting exercise ending in September 2005 to replace them

with stainless steel rivets.

Falling windows have caused at least five cases of injury since 2004.

Under the Building Maintenance and Strata Management Act, it is the tenant's responsibility to check and maintain windows.

But the lack of maintenance is a perennial problem.

HDB dweller and real estate agent Lau Hwee Ting, 32, said she would do a thorough check only if she senses the window is not working well or if there is visible deterioration.

She said: 'Everyday, when you open and close a window, you can tell if it's in good condition or not, so there is no need to do additional checks.'

To get the message across, the authorities last year designated two days a year as 'Window Safety Days' - June 6 and Dec 12 - to remind home owners and tenants to check their windows and replace defective or loose parts.

Home owners or tenants whose windows fall due to lack of maintenance can face a maximum fine of $10,000 and/or a jail term of up to one year.

Home owners or tenants whose fallen casement windows are found with aluminium rivets can face a maximum fine of $5,000 and/or a jail term of up to six months.

For more information on window safety and maintenance tips, go to: www.hdb.gov.sg/windows_safety or www.bca.gov.sg/windows_safety

Source : The Straits Times © Singapore Press Holdings Ltd. Reprinted with permission.