If you’ve been keeping up with the news lately, you might know that the authorities previously announced that they are in the process of planning new rules with regards to LED funeral wreaths.
With LED funeral wreaths garnering much popularity in Singapore after they were first introduced in Mainland China and Taiwan, they have been a pretty common sight during funerals here since the start of the year.
However, even though more people have been switching to using them instead of the traditional flower wreaths, many issues such as the wreaths being a potential safety hazard were soon raised.
The bright lights also resulted in inconvenience for other residents in the area.
Large inflatable objects such as structures in the shape of arches and lanterns have also become more popular at funerals in recent months.
With that, the authorities decided that a new set of rules will be drawn up in order to ensure that the safety and well-being of individuals are taken care of.
And it seems like they have been put into place now.
New Rules Regarding LED Funeral Wreaths
In the new set of rules developed together by the National Environmental Agency (NEA) and the Association of Funeral Directors Singapore, various restrictions for the wreaths such as the maximum quantity and size have been implemented.
The NEA released a statement stating the new rules yesterday (7 June).
Rules Regarding Quantity and Size
Firstly, a maximum of ten LED wreaths or nine wreaths and one inflatable structure will be allowed at each wake.
The wreaths should not exceed 2.6m in height and 1.5m in breadth, while the inflatable structures should not exceed 4m in length, 1m in breadth and 3.2m in height.
Rules Regarding Location
The LED wreaths and inflatable structures must be set up within the funeral wake area, usually the void deck of HDB blocks and pavilions. The placement of these items will also be subject to the relevant authorities’ approval.
Neither the LED wreaths nor the inflatable structures should be set up near car parks, roads, walkways, businesses or residences since they may obstruct traffic, motorists and pedestrians.
They should also not be set up within 5m of fire hydrants, and are to not obstruct any fire safety provisions either.
Should the wreaths or inflatable structures be set up at common places like pedestrian walkways or pavements due to space constraints, a pathway of at least 1.5m wide should be available for others to walk through.
The inflatable objects should also be secured properly and cordoned off with a minimum of 2m radius surrounding them.
The items should not be located within 5m of a fire hydrant and should not obstruct any fire safety provisions.
Other Rules
Apart from the rules pertaining to quantity, size and location, the wreaths should also be switched off from 10pm to 7am every day.
This is to ensure that the bright lights do not disturb other residents in the area.
NEA’s Statement
“Town councils or relevant authorities’ written permission is required for deviations from these guidelines,” the NEA wrote.
These guidelines have also apparently been sent to Town Councils and various religious organisations across Singapore, and the NEA is in the midst of conducting briefings for the various parties as well.
The NEA explained to The Straits Times that the new guidelines are to advise the relevant industries and stakeholders on how to deploy the LED funeral wreaths and inflatable structures used at wakes.
This will prevent them from causing any issues such as light and noise pollution, obstruction to pedestrian traffic and potential circuit breaker trips.
The agency also indicated that they are currently speaking to the Town Councils to include the guidelines in the newly implemented rules to roll out a permit for individuals to hold wakes.
This is because many wakes take place in communal spaces in HDB estates.
Funeral Parlours’ Opinions
Even before the new guidelines were established, there have already been a number of funeral parlours that have stopped offering LED flower wreaths and inflatable structures to consumers due to the potential safety hazards.
Since the LED funeral wreaths use large amounts of energy, an electrical overload could occur as well.
Currently, each LED wreath costs around $90 to $138 inclusive of on-site installation.
As for X Funerals which supplies around 1,000 LED wreaths every month, its marketing executive Cyrus Lee told The Straits Times that its business will definitely be impacted negatively.
According to Lee, some wakes end up with around 100 LED wreaths since those close to the deceased may want to offer their condolences by renting the wreaths.
He also touched on how there have been more companies joining the industry due to the rising demand for LED wreaths, and that the new guidelines will affect business even further.
As for Jeremy Ng, the founder of Last Journey Flower Wreath, he acknowledged the issues addressed but expressed the difficulty in adhering to the new guidelines.
He explained to The Straits Times that it would be almost impossible to ensure that there are only ten LED wreaths per wake since other businesses can rent the wreaths to the same wake as well.
Ng also mentioned that there are some HDB blocks that have car parks all around them, and that there is no other place to set up the wreaths and inflatable structures if they do not place them at the car parks.
He added that he is intending to write to the NEA to bring up his concerns.
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As for the Town Councils, a representative for the Ang Mo Kio Town Council told The Straits Times that it has already rolled out the new guidelines in the area.
The representative also emphasised that the Town Council places their residents’ comfort and safety as their biggest priorities, and that they hope for residents’ cooperation in this matter.
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Featured Image: funeralbyx.com
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