Premises in unwholesome state
Open ↗47. Where the Director‑General is of the opinion that any premises, whether tenantable or otherwise, or any part of the premises are in an unclean, grimy, neglected, unkempt or insanitary condition, he or she may by a written order direct the owner or occupier of the premises to take all or any of the following measures at the expense of that owner or occupier within a time and date to be specified in the order:(a)
remove all rank or noisome vegetation, refuse or other matter within those premises or part of those premises, or in the immediate vicinity of those premises, to such place or otherwise dispose of it at such place, as may be specified in the order;
(b)
cleanse the premises or part of the premises internally or externally, or both internally and externally, and if necessary disinfect it.
Destruction of rats, wasps, bees, etc.
Open ↗48.—(1) Where the Director‑General is of the opinion that —(a)
any premises are so infested with rats, mice, insects or other vermin; or
(b)
there exist, in any premises, wasps, bees, hornets or other insects capable of stinging and the Director‑General is of the opinion that there is a probability, risk or danger that the persons in those premises or in the vicinity of those premises may be stung by them, or if any of those persons has been stung by them,
the Director‑General may, by written notice, require the owner or occupier of the premises at the owner’s or occupier’s own expense to take any measures that the Director‑General may consider necessary, within such time and date as may be specified in the notice, for the destruction of the rats, mice, wasps, bees, hornets or other insects or vermins, for the removal of their breeding places and for preventing their reappearance.
(2) Where wasps, bees, hornets or other insects capable of stinging exist in any vacant premises and the owner cannot by the exercise of reasonable diligence be found, and the Director‑General is of the opinion that persons in the vicinity of the premises are in imminent danger of being stung by them, or if those persons have been stung by them, the Director‑General may enter upon the premises and take any measures that he or she considers necessary for their destruction, for the removal of their breeding places and for preventing their reappearance.
(3) The costs and expenses incurred under subsection (2) must be borne by the Agency.
Closing and demolition, etc., of insanitary dwellings
Open ↗49.—(1) Where the Director‑General is of the opinion that any building or part of the building or anything attached to a building used or occupied as a dwelling house is unfit for human habitation and cannot be rendered fit therefor without the removal, alteration or demolition in whole or in part of any partition, compartment, loft, gallery, pent roof, outhouse or other structure or erection or without the execution of any alterations or structural operations that he or she may specify, the Director‑General may, by written notice, require the owner thereof to carry into effect all or any of the following:(a)
the removal, alteration or demolition of the whole or a part of the partitions or other erections or obstructions complained of;
(b)
the execution of any operations or structural alterations that are necessary to render the premises fit for human habitation and to guard against danger of disease.
(2) The notice must give at least 24 hours in advance for the commencement of the operation enjoined and must specify the period within which the operation must be completed.
(3) A person must not, without the express written permission of the Director‑General, replace any partition, erection or obstruction removed under subsection (1) and the Director‑General or any authorised officer may enter upon such premises and remove the partition, erection or obstruction.
(4) The Director‑General may also, by notice to be posted in a conspicuous position upon the building, require the owner or occupier (as the case may be) to cease to inhabit the building and to remove all goods, furniture and effects from the building within 48 hours from the posting of the notice.
(5) The owner and every occupying tenant must thereupon comply with the requirements of the notice.
(6) At the expiry of 48 hours from the posting of the notice mentioned in subsection (4), the Director‑General or any authorised officer may remove all goods, furniture and effects from the building.
Overcrowding of houses
Open ↗50. A person must not permit a house to be so overcrowded as in the opinion of the Director‑General to be injurious or dangerous to the health of the residents of the house.
Public toilets
Open ↗51. The Director‑General may provide and maintain in proper and convenient locations toilets for public use and may charge a fee for the use of those toilets or may license those toilets for such periods and on payment of such fees as he or she may think fit.
Insufficient and defective sanitary conveniences
Open ↗52.—(1) If it appears to the Director‑General that —(a)
any building or part of the building is without sufficient sanitary conveniences; or
(b)
any sanitary conveniences provided for or in connection with a building or part of the building are in such a state as to be prejudicial to health or a nuisance and cannot without reconstruction be put into a satisfactory condition,
the Director‑General must, by written notice to the owner of the building, require the owner to provide the building or any part of the building with any sanitary conveniences that may be necessary for the use of persons using the building.
(2) The Director‑General may, in his or her discretion, by written notice to the owner of any building or part of the building, require the owner to re-site any toilet attached thereto.
Repairs
Open ↗53. If it appears to the Director‑General that any sanitary conveniences provided for or in connection with a building or part of the building are in such a state as to be defective or prejudicial to health or a nuisance, but that they can without reconstruction be put into a satisfactory condition, the Director‑General must, by written notice, require the owner or occupier of the building to execute such works or to take such steps by cleansing the sanitary conveniences or otherwise as may be necessary for that purpose.
Sanitary conveniences in work premises or work place
Open ↗54.—(1) Any premises which are used as work premises or work place must be provided —(a)
with adequate sanitary conveniences sited at any locations that the Director‑General may think fit, having regard to the number of persons employed in, or in attendance at, the work premises or work place; and
(b)
where persons of both sexes are employed or in attendance, with adequate separate sanitary conveniences for persons of each sex, unless the Director‑General is satisfied that in the circumstances of any particular case the provision of those separate sanitary conveniences is unnecessary.
(2) If it appears to the Director‑General that subsection (1) has not been complied with in the case of any work premises or work place, he or she must, by written notice, require the owner or the occupier of the work premises or work place (as the case may be) to —(a)
make such alterations in the existing sanitary conveniences; and
(b)
provide such additional sanitary conveniences as may be necessary.
Care of sanitary conveniences
Open ↗55.—(1) The owner and the occupier of every building in or in connection with which a toilet or urinal is provided must cause the flushing apparatus thereof to be kept supplied with water sufficient for flushing.
(2) Where sanitary conveniences are used in common by the members of 2 or more families or by members of the public or by employees, the owner, occupier, chief or principal tenant or the person in charge of the building concerned (as the case may be) must maintain the sanitary conveniences in a clean and hygienic manner without causing any nuisance to sight or smell.
Inadequate bathroom facilities
Open ↗56. If it appears to the Director‑General that any building or part of the building is without any bathroom or without adequate facilities for bathing, he or she may, by written notice to the owner of the building, require the owner to provide the building with one or more bathrooms or with such facilities for bathing as the Director‑General may consider adequate.
Construction and maintenance of private drains
Open ↗57.—(1) The Director‑General may, by written notice, require the owner of any land or the owner of adjoining lands, at the expense of the owner to —(a)
construct such drain or number of drains as the Director‑General may consider necessary in accordance with such specifications as the Director‑General may think fit; and
(b)
maintain and keep in a clean and sanitary condition any drain or drains so constructed or any other existing drain or drains in such land.
(2) For the purpose of ensuring a free flow of water, the Director‑General may cause one or more drains to be constructed through, across or under any land after giving written notice in that behalf to the owner of the land, doing as little damage as may be and making full compensation for any damage done.
(3) If any dispute arises concerning the amount or apportionment of compensation, it must be settled in the manner provided in section 89.
Drains, etc., to be kept in order at cost of owners
Open ↗58.—(1) All drains or any appurtenance thereof must be altered, repaired and kept in proper order at the expense of the owners of the land and buildings to which the drains or appurtenance belong or for the use of which they are maintained.
(2) The Director‑General may, by written notice, require the owner of any land or building to alter, repair or put any drain or any appurtenance thereof in good order in the manner required by the Director‑General.
(3) In any case where an authorised officer is satisfied that an emergency exists and that it is necessary immediately to alter, repair or put in good order and condition any drain or any appurtenance thereto, the authorised officer may —(a)
enter with any assistants and workmen that are necessary upon any land or building; and
(b)
do or cause to be done any alterations, repairs, works, acts or things that are necessary for any of the purposes under this subsection.
(4) The expenses reasonably and necessarily incurred in so doing may be recovered from the person who is the owner of the land or building when the work is completed, and in default of agreement the amount of such expenses may be determined under section 89, and section 92 applies to the amount for which judgment is given.
(5) Any person who constructs, rebuilds or unstops any drain or any appurtenance thereto, which has been ordered by the Director‑General to be demolished or stopped up or not to be made shall be guilty of an offence.
Restriction on construction of wells, etc.
Open ↗59.—(1) A person other than the owner or occupier of an agricultural or horticultural holding must not, without the previous permission of the Director‑General, open, dig or otherwise construct or permit or allow to be opened, dug or otherwise constructed any well, tank or reservoir, the water in which is likely to be used for drinking, domestic or other purposes.
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1), any well within the curtilage of any dwelling house is deemed to be likely to be used for drinking or domestic purposes.
(3) If the owner or occupier of any agricultural or horticultural holding opens, digs or otherwise constructs or permits or allows to be opened, dug or otherwise constructed any well, tank or reservoir, the owner or occupier must report the opening, digging or construction of the well, tank or reservoir (as the case may be) within one month thereof to the Director‑General.
(4) The Director‑General may give to the owner or occupier of any premises notice to close any well, tank or reservoir, the water in which is likely to be used for drinking or domestic purposes and may by the notice specify any works to be executed for such purpose within a time and date to be specified in the notice, and the owner or occupier must comply with the terms of the notice.
Publicly accessible premises to be kept clean, etc.
Open ↗60.—(1) The manager of any publicly accessible premises must —(a)
regularly clean, and keep clean and in good repair, the premises;
(b)
keep the premises free of conditions that may endanger the lives or health of the manager’s employees or other users of the premises; and
(c)
where the premises are specified premises, comply with the additional requirements relating to specified premises under this Act.[33/2020]
(2) Where, in the opinion of the Director‑General, the manager of any publicly accessible premises fails to comply with subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c), the Director‑General may, by written notice, require the manager within such period as may be specified in the notice to take any steps that the Director-General may think fit.[33/2020]
(3) In the case of any publicly accessible premises that are air‑conditioned, the Director‑General may, by written notice —(a)
prescribe temperature and humidity controls for the air‑conditioned premises; and
(b)
require the manager of the premises —(i)
to install automatic devices for recording the temperature and humidity level in the premises; and
(ii)
to keep such records and charts of the temperature and humidity level in such premises as the Director‑General may direct for the inspection of the Director‑General.[33/2020]
Director-General may require employers to provide mess rooms, etc.
Open ↗61. The Director‑General may, in his or her discretion, by written notice, require any employer to provide for the employer’s employees, if in the opinion of the Director‑General the conditions or circumstances under which the employees work so warrant, suitable and sufficient facilities by way of mess rooms, rest rooms, canteens, changing rooms or pantries or to improve upon the same if the Director‑General considers the existing facilities inadequate.
Environmental Control Coordinators and Environmental Control Officers
Open ↗61A.—(1) An individual must not act as an Environmental Control Coordinator or an Environmental Control Officer unless the individual is registered as such, and the registration is not suspended, under this Act.[33/2020]
(2) The Director-General may —(a)
subject to any condition that the Director‑General thinks fit to impose, register any individual as an Environmental Control Coordinator or an Environmental Control Officer; or
(b)
refuse such registration.[33/2020]
(3) The Director-General may, by written notice, suspend or cancel the registration of an Environmental Control Coordinator or an Environmental Control Officer (called in this section a registered person) if —(a)
the registered person procured the registration by providing any particulars, document or information, or by making any statement or representation, to the Director‑General which is false or misleading in any material particular; or
(b)
the Director-General is satisfied that the registered person has contravened any of the following:(i)
any provision of this Act;
(ii)
any regulations made under section 111;
(iii)
any applicable code of practice or standard of performance;
(iv)
any condition of the registration.[33/2020]
(4) The Director-General must, before suspending or cancelling the registration of a registered person under subsection (3), give the registered person a written notice of the Director‑General’s intention to do so and an opportunity to submit reasons, within the period specified in that notice, as to why the registration should not be suspended or cancelled.[33/2020]
(5) Any individual who contravenes subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —(a)
for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $5,000; and
(b)
for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $10,000.[33/2020]
Appeal against decisions made under section 61A
Open ↗61B.—(1) Any individual who is aggrieved by the Director‑General’s decision to —(a)
impose any condition on the individual’s registration as an Environmental Control Coordinator or an Environmental Control Officer under section 61A(2)(a);
(b)
refuse the registration of the individual under section 61A(2)(b); or
(c)
suspend or cancel the individual’s registration under section 61A(3),
may, within 14 days after the individual receives the decision, appeal in writing to the Minister.
[33/2020]
(2) After considering the appeal, the Minister may —(a)
confirm the Director-General’s decision;
(b)
rescind the Director-General’s decision; or
(c)
substitute or vary the Director-General’s decision and make any decision which the Director‑General is competent to make under section 61A(2) or (3), as the case may be.[33/2020]
(3) The Minister’s decision on the appeal is final.[33/2020]
(4) The Minister’s decision on the appeal must be given to the appellant.[33/2020]
(5) Where an appeal is made under subsection (1) against any decision of the Director‑General under section 61A(3), the execution of that decision must be stayed until the outcome of the appeal.[33/2020]
Appointment of Environmental Control Officer in construction site
Open ↗62.—(1) This section applies to any class or description of construction sites that the Agency may, with the approval of the Minister by order in the Gazette, specify.
(2) The occupier of any construction site to which this section applies must appoint a registered Environmental Control Officer for the construction site.[33/2020]
(3) Despite subsection (2), where a construction site has more than one occupier, the Director‑General may, by written notice, require the developer of that construction site to appoint a registered Environmental Control Officer for that construction site, and the developer must ensure that a registered Environmental Control Officer is appointed for the construction site until the completion of the works in that construction site.[15/2014; 33/2020]
(4) A registered Environmental Control Officer appointed for a construction site under this section must be so appointed on a full‑time or part-time basis, as may be specified in the order under subsection (1), for the purpose of exercising general supervision within the construction sites of the observance of the provisions of this Act, the Control of Vectors and Pesticides Act 1998, the Environmental Protection and Management Act 1999 and the Sewerage, Drainage and Coastal Protection Act 1999, and any regulations made under those Acts.[26/2007; 33/2020]
[Act 8 of 2026 wef 29/05/2026]
Appointment of Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer for specified premises
Open ↗62A.—(1) This section applies to premises for which an environmental sanitation programme is required (called specified premises).[33/2020]
(2) The Agency may, with the approval of the Minister, by order in the Gazette —(a)
designate as specified premises any publicly accessible premises (or class of publicly accessible premises);
(b)
designate as specified premises any of the following premises (or class of premises) that are not publicly accessible:(i)
any premises (or class of premises) owned, managed or occupied by the Government or a statutory body;
(ii)
any premises (or class of premises) used, or intended to be used, for a commercial or an industrial purpose, or for mixed purposes the predominant purpose of which is either a commercial or an industrial purpose;
(iii)
any recreational facility or class of recreational facilities;
(iv)
any common property (or class of common property) of any residential premises (or class of residential premises), or of any premises (or class of premises) mentioned in sub‑paragraph (ii);
(v)
any premises (or class of premises) for which an environmental sanitation programme is assessed to be necessary to minimise or alleviate the risk of, or to prevent or manage, an outbreak or a spread of any infectious disease;
(c)
designate any class, description or type of specified premises for which an Environmental Control Coordinator must be appointed; and
(d)
designate any class, description or type of specified premises for which an Environmental Control Officer must be appointed.[33/2020]
(3) The manager of any specified premises must —(a)
where the specified premises are of a class, description or type for which an Environmental Control Coordinator must be appointed — appoint a registered Environmental Control Coordinator as the Environmental Control Coordinator for that specified premises; or
(b)
where the specified premises are of a class, description or type for which an Environmental Control Officer must be appointed — appoint a registered Environmental Control Officer as the Environmental Control Officer for that specified premises.[33/2020]
(4) For the purposes of subsection (3), the manager of the specified premises may appoint himself, herself or itself as the Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer (as the case may be) for the specified premises in accordance with that subsection if the manager is registered as such under this Act.[33/2020]
(5) Any person that contravenes subsection (3)(a) or (b) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —(a)
for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $5,000; and
(b)
for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $10,000.[33/2020]
Environmental sanitation programme for specified premises
Open ↗62B.—(1) The Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer for any specified premises must, in accordance with the applicable codes of practice and standards of performance and any regulations made under section 111 —(a)
develop an environmental sanitation programme for the specified premises;
(b)
where the Director-General requires the environmental sanitation programme to be amended, amend that environmental sanitation programme in the manner directed by the Director‑General in writing;
(c)
review and update the environmental sanitation programme in the manner required by the applicable codes of practice or standards of performance;
(d)
submit the developed, amended or updated (as the case may be) environmental sanitation programme to the manager of the specified premises;
(e)
monitor the implementation of the developed, amended or updated (as the case may be) environmental sanitation programme;
(f)
identify and notify the manager of any default in the implementation of the environmental sanitation programme; and
(g)
recommend remedial measures to address any default in the implementation of the environmental sanitation programme.[33/2020]
(2) The manager of the specified premises must, in accordance with any regulations made under section 111 —(a)
endorse and submit to the Director-General the environmental sanitation programme mentioned in subsection (1)(d) (or, where section 62A(4) applies, the environmental sanitation programme developed, amended or updated (as the case may be) by the manager in the manager’s capacity as the Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer for the specified premises);
(b)
implement that environmental sanitation programme upon endorsing it; and
(c)
implement any remedial measures recommended under subsection (1)(g).[33/2020]
(3) Any manager that contravenes subsection (2)(a), (b) or (c) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —(a)
for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $5,000; and
(b)
for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $10,000.[33/2020]
(4) In this section, “implement”, in relation to an environmental sanitation programme or remedial measures, includes the carrying out of activities and measures specified in the environmental sanitation programme or remedial measures (as the case may be), and “implementation” is to be construed accordingly.[33/2020]
Power to give directives
Open ↗62C.—(1) The Director-General may, with the approval of the Minister, give a directive in such form and manner as the Director‑General thinks fit, in respect of any premises or class of premises (called in this section the relevant premises), or any public service vehicle or class of public service vehicles (called in this section the relevant vehicle) if it appears to the Director‑General that —(a)
the use of the relevant premises or the operation of the relevant vehicle is likely to endanger the health of any person and the directive is necessary to prevent or manage that risk; or
(b)
the directive is necessary to prevent or manage the outbreak or spread of any infectious disease.[33/2020]
(2) A directive given under subsection (1) must be complied with by the following persons (called in this section the responsible person):(a)
where the directive applies to any relevant premises — the manager of those premises;
(b)
where the directive applies to any relevant vehicle — the operator of that vehicle.[33/2020]
(3) Without limiting subsection (1), a directive given under that subsection may require the responsible person to do all or any of the following:(a)
close the relevant premises, or any part of the relevant premises, for a period not exceeding 14 days for the purpose of cleaning or disinfecting the relevant premises, or any part of the relevant premises;
(b)
clean or disinfect the relevant premises or the relevant vehicle in the manner and within the time specified in the directive;
(c)
provide every individual who is to carry out the cleaning or disinfecting of the relevant premises or relevant vehicle with appropriate personal protective equipment, and ensure that the individual wears the personal protective equipment when carrying out the cleaning or disinfecting work.[33/2020]
(4) The Director-General may, with the approval of the Minister, by written notice, renew any directive mentioned in subsection (3)(a) for any period (not exceeding 14 days each time) specified in the notice.[33/2020]
(5) Where a directive under subsection (1) or a notice of renewal under subsection (4) applies to or affects a class of responsible persons, it may be published in any manner that the Director‑General thinks necessary for bringing it to the notice of those responsible persons.[33/2020]
(6) Any responsible person that fails to comply with a directive given under subsection (1) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —(a)
for a first offence, to a fine not exceeding $5,000; and
(b)
for a second or subsequent offence, to a fine not exceeding $10,000.[33/2020]
(7) Without affecting any proceedings under subsection (6), if a responsible person fails to comply with any directive given under subsection (1) —(a)
the Director-General may without warrant and with such force as may be necessary, enter the relevant premises or the relevant vehicle and take or cause to be taken any steps which the Director‑General considers to be necessary to secure compliance with the directive; and
(b)
the responsible person is liable for any costs and expenses incurred by the Director‑General in exercise of the powers conferred under paragraph (a).[33/2020]
(8) A reference in this section to a directive given under subsection (1) includes, where subsection (4) applies, a reference to the renewed directive under subsection (4).[33/2020]
Monitoring powers for purposes of sections 62A, 62B and 62C
Open ↗62D.—(1) The Director-General or an authorised officer appointed under section 3(2) may, by written notice —(a)
inspect any specified premises, for the purposes of administering or enforcing section 62A or 62B or ascertaining whether that section has been complied with; or
(b)
inspect any premises or public service vehicle in respect of which a directive is given under section 62C(1), for the purpose of ascertaining whether the directive has been complied with.[33/2020]
(2) The Director-General or an authorised officer appointed under section 3(2) may also, by written notice, require the Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer for any specified premises to provide, within a reasonable period, and in the form and manner specified in the notice, all documents and information which —(a)
relate to any matter which the Director‑General or authorised officer considers necessary for the purposes of administering or enforcing section 62A or 62B or ascertaining whether that section has been complied with; and
(b)
are —(i)
within the knowledge of the Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer; or
(ii)
in the custody or under the control of the Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer.[33/2020]
(3) The power to require an Environmental Control Coordinator or an Environmental Control Officer to provide any document or information under subsection (2) includes the power —(a)
to require the Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer to provide an explanation of the document or information;
(b)
if the information is recorded otherwise than in legible form, to require the information to be made available in legible form to the Director‑General or an authorised officer appointed under section 3(2); and
(c)
if the document or information is not provided, to require the Environmental Control Coordinator or Environmental Control Officer to state, to the best of his or her knowledge and belief, where it is and how it may be obtained.[33/2020]
(4) The Director-General or an authorised officer appointed under section 3(2) is entitled without payment to make and retain copies of any document or information provided to the Director‑General or authorised officer under subsection (2).[33/2020]
(5) Any individual who, without reasonable excuse, fails to do anything required of the individual by a notice under subsection (2) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding $5,000.[33/2020]
(6) For the purposes of subsection (5), it is a reasonable excuse for an individual to refuse or fail to provide any document or information which the individual is required by a notice under subsection (2) to provide if doing so might tend to incriminate that individual.[33/2020]
Application to Government
Open ↗62E. Sections 60 to 62D apply to any premises owned, managed or occupied by the Government and any public service vehicle owned or operated by the Government.[33/2020]
Source: Singapore Statutes Online (Attorney-General's Chambers), © Government of Singapore.
