LTA Might Bring Forward the Deadline for Compulsory UL2272-Certified PMDs Due to Recent Fires


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Let’s face it: PMDs have been hitting the headlines more than Donald Trump lately. Well, at least in Singapore.

The number of PMD-related fires has been increasing in recent weeks. Just a few days ago, a PMD sparked a fire in an Ang Mo Kio flat, causing the evacuation of 60 people.

Image: Facebook (SCDF)

Another PMD-related fire claimed the life of a 40-year-old man last week.

Image: Facebook (Murali)

For these reasons, LTA is considering bringing forward the deadline for all PMDs to be UL2272-certified.

You might be wondering: aren’t they all supposed to be UL2272-certified le?

Well, read on.

UL2272 

So what exactly does it mean for a PMD to be UL2272-certified?

The UL2272 is a U.S certification awarded to PMDs that have passed a series of stringent electrical, mechanical, and environmental tests.

These tests include overcharging of batteries, repeated exposure to water, and exposure to different temperatures.

PMDs with this certification are much safer and less likely to cause fire-related accidents.

You can find more information on the certification here.

Deadline for UL2272 certification

Here’s the fact that might confuse you: Previously, the LTA announced that all PMDs must be UL2272-certified from 1 January 2021.

They also stated that retailers will be prohibited from selling PMDs that do not have the certification from 1 July 2019.

In other words, while retailers now can’t sell non-UL2272-certified PMDs now, there are still many non-UL2272-certified PMDs out there that were purchased before 1 July 2019.

LTA encouraged PMD owners to switch to a UL2272-certified early “for their own safety as well as those around them”.

This requirement was introduced to “improve public safety and minimise fire incidents”.


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However, yesterday (23 July 2019), the LTA said that they are considering bringing the deadline forward.

This is due to the recent spate of fires involving non-UL2272-certified PMDs, said an LTA spokesperson.

A worthy trade-off

PMD owners might moan at the fact that they have to purchase new devices to meet LTA’s new requirement, but it makes complete sense when the risks associated with owning a non-UL2272-certified PMD seem to be increasing every week.

Surely, spending a little more money in return for increased safety is a worthy trade-off?

LTA would certainly be doing the right thing for the public if they were to bring the deadline forward.


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Sorry PMD owners, but personal convenience should never come at the expense of public safety.

Especially when you’re just an innocent person living in an HDB flat and found out the next day that your flat has been burned by your neighbour’s PMD.