• Construction noise limits and penalties for those in breach are being reviewed, Mr Desmond Tan told Parliament
• The review would take into account that people are working and studying from home during the pandemic
• The limits and penalties have already been tightened over the years, Mr Tan said

SINGAPORE — The authorities are reviewing construction noise limits and penalties, taking into account that Singaporeans are working and studying from home during the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Desmond Tan told Parliament on Wednesday (Oct 14).

Mr Tan, who is Minister of State for Sustainability and the Environment, added that this is part of the ministry’s regular review to protect public health.

The maximum permissible construction noise levels have been tightened over the years.

In 2011, the National Environment Agency (NEA) banned work activities at construction sites located within 150m of residential and noise-sensitive premises — such as hospitals and nursing homes — on Sundays and public holidays.

Penalties for errant firms were also reviewed in 2014.

Mr Tan gave these examples in response to a question by Dr Tan Wu Meng, Member of Parliament (MP) for Jurong Group Representation Constituency (GRC), on when the noise limits and penalties were last reviewed.

Dr Tan also asked how the current maximum permissible noise levels for construction work is determined and how noise levels are measured.

Mr Tan said that NEA takes reference from the guidelines of the World Health Organization (WHO) when determining noise limits to protect public health.

These limits were further tailored to the context here.

“To minimise noise nuisance to residents, the noise limits are further differentiated based on the time bands with more stringent limits imposed between 7pm to 7am, and on Sundays and public holidays, when most of our residents are resting,” he said.

On how noise levels are measured at work sites, Mr Tan pointed to noise meters that construction companies must install at the nearest affected buildings and monitor regularly.

For projects with a contract value of more than S$3 million or those which involve demolition or piling, contractors are required to install noise monitoring systems, which allow real-time monitoring of the noise levels by both the contractors and NEA.

In his supplementary questions, Dr Tan asked if the Covid-19 environment, where Singaporeans work and attend lessons from home, will be taken into account, given the density of Housing and Development Board estates, for example.

He added that several residents in his Clementi ward have been worried about the noise from nearby construction developments during the examination season.

He also raised the question of whether the review of the penalty framework will consider economic levers on construction firms.

Mr Tan gave an assurance that the review will take into consideration the Covid-19 situation and economic conditions.

However, he reminded the House that noise management has to be considered in relation to the cost and duration of the construction.

“It is of our most important interest to make sure that public health is being protected, to make sure that noise level does not exceed the noise level that is described by WHO,” he said.

Mr Tan also said that the penalties, which have been reviewed over the years, have been effective in reducing feedback on the issue and enforcement over the years.

He added that the authorities would continue to look at how the penalties affect construction noise and, in particular, firms that are repeat offenders.

“They have been given the same warning over and over again, so these are the things that we're looking at for our ongoing review — the noise limits, the ability to measure them, as well as the penalty regime.”

There has been widespread public concern about noise, especially during the national examination seasons for schools.

Last month, the Republic of Singapore Air Force (RSAF) said that it will dial down the frequency of its flights islandwide and end night flying activities earlier during that period.

Ms Yeo Wan Ling, MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, said that RSAF’s flight schedules were adjusted in response to feedback from residents in her ward of Punggol Shore.

Similarly, Mountbatten MP Lim Biow Chuan said that several residents had written to him about the noise generated by military aircraft during the exams.