SINGAPORE

 

Raising Standards for Exhibition Management Services

 

Exhibition companies which want their exhibitions and fairs to be granted Approved International Fair (AIF) status are required to comply with the new Technical Reference1 on Exhibition Content. International Enteprise (IE) Singapore, which is the government agency that grants AIF status to exhibitions, added this new requirement into its International Exhibition City Programme audit criteria.


The latest development is part of multi-agency efforts to encourage enterprises in the exhibition industry to use this technical reference, released in October last year together with another technical reference that focuses on safety, health and technical operational efficiency at exhibition sites.

 

Since the release of the two industry standards, SPRING Singapore (Standards, Productivity and Innovation Board) has been working closely with IE Singapore and the Singapore Association of Convention and Exhibition Organisers and Suppliers (SACEOS) to develop training programmes and seminars to educate and guide industry players on the use of the technical references.


Strengthening Singapore's Position as Asia's Leading Exhibition Venue

 

Singapore has taken the lead in bringing its exhibition management services (EMS) to world-class standards with the development and implementation of the two Technical References. This is also in line with the International Organisation for Standardisation's (ISO) aim to develop international standards to support the growing global trade in services.


ISO looks upon Singapore to lead in setting standards for the exhibition management services industry, given the keen interest amongst industry players here to raise the professionalism of the industry. ISO takes a keen interest in the possibility of elevating these national standards to international standards" said Mr Teo Nam Kuan, General Manager for Standards and Quality, SPRING Singapore.

 

Enhanced Professionalism and Competitiveness

 

The industry-wide implementation of the two Technical References is expected to enhance professionalism and competitiveness through higher productivity and lower costs.

 

The Technical Reference on Exhibition Content defines the key terms commonly used in marketing and managing exhibitions. This enables exhibitors and trade visitors to measure and evaluate the performance and quality of exhibitions objectively and consistently. With all parties referring to a set of common terms, comparisons between different exhibitions can be made impartially.

 

The Technical Reference also sets out standard procedures for auditing exhibitions, helping to ensure consistency and accuracy in measuring and assessing data on the results and outcomes of exhibitions.

 

New Standard on Temporary Electrical Installation for Construction and Building Sites

 

A Singapore Standard regulated by both the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Energy Market Authority (EMA), CP88 : Part 1 : 2001 (Code of Practice for Temporary electrical installations for construction and building sites), was launched in 2002 at the SPRING Singapore's Auditorium in Bukit Merah. This half-day seminar was organised by SPRING Singapore and supported by MOM and EMA.

 

It attracted 300 participants comprising of licensed electrical workers (LEWs), project managers, consultants, licensed electrical contractors (LECs), safety officers, and maintenance staff who are involved in works on construction and building sites.

 

In conjunction with this seminar, 4 companies exhibited their products that are relevant to the standard, such as plugs, socket-outlets, socket-outlet assembly (SOA) and etc.

 

CP88 : Part 1 : 2001 is a revision of CP44 : 1988 with the objective to protect persons and property against electrical hazards in the use of electricity in construction sites.

 

Besides addressing the key electrical safety requirement at construction and building sites, it serves as a guide on safety issues (e.g. the use of mobile generators and some common malpractice and defects found at the construction sites) and is meant to supplement the general requirement of CP5 : 1998 - Code of Practice for electrical installations. As a result of the revision, this standard was expanded into three parts:

 

·          Part 1 - construction and building sites

·          Part 2 - festive lighting, trade-fairs, mini-fairs and exhibition sites (was published in Dec 2001)

·          Part 3 - shipbuilding and ship-repairing yards (under development)

 

This seminar provided an invaluable opportunity for industry professionals to receive a first hand and comprehensive update of the requirements and interpretation of CP88 : Part 1 : 2001. Moreover, it raised the awareness of electrical safety at construction sites, thus illustrating the importance of standards' contribution to productivity.

 

One of the new requirements of CP88 : Part 1 : 2001 is the use of Socket-Outlet Assemblies (SOAs). SOAs play a significant role in eliminating haphazard unsafe electrical installations. In addition, it can be put in use immediately and is also reusable, thereby reducing operational cost and improving productivity.

 

An important highlight of the seminar was the keynote address delivered by Mr Yeo Yek Seng, Deputy Chief Executive of EMA. regarding the implementation dates and changes of the regulation and Act that are related to CP88 : Part 1 : 2001. Both MOM and EMA have decided to enforce the industry plugs and socket-outlets for hand-held appliances and the use of socket-outlet assembly (SOA) with effect from 1 April 2002 so as to address the main causes of accidents found at construction sites.

 

These accidents were either attributed to faulty connections in plugs and socket-outlets of hand-held appliances or caused by the use of tampered Residual Current Circuit Breakers (RCCBs) in the protection of the final circuits.

 

Another announcement made at the seminar was regarding the existing Act and regulations affecting the electrical supply industry. With effect from 1 Dec 2002, the electrical contractors licensing scheme will be discontinued to reduce business operational cost without compromising safety. Instead of engaging a Licensed Electrical Contractor (LEC) who will in turn engage a Licensed Electrical Worker (LEW) to take charge of the electrical installation work, the reviewed system will only require the LEW to be responsible for the design, installation, supervision, testing, commission and maintenance of the electrical installation.

 

After installing, testing, and inspecting, the LEW who designed or supervised the construction of the consumer electrical installation will have to certify the fitness of the installation. Only LEWs are permitted to carry out electrical work so as to ensure the safety of the electrical installation and thereby preventing accidents. As part of the continuing effort to promote electrical safety, EMA and MOM will make CP88 : Part 1 : 2001 a mandatory requirement with effect from 1 Dec 2002. As such CP44: 1988 will be withdrawn with the implementation of CP88 : Part 1 : 2001.

 

With a common set of terms and references, everyone - exhibitors, trade visitors and organisers - in the industry will have a clearer understanding of exhibition objectives, visitor turnout and business results, resulting in fewer misunderstandings and mistakes. To encourage the use of these Technical References, we should continue to incorporate them into SACEOS' exhibition management courses," said Mr Jimmy Lau, Chairman of the Exhibition Content Working Group.


The Technical Reference on Safety, Health and Technical Operational Efficiency provides a set of recommended practices, from preparation and build-up all the way up to

 

tear-down, to ensure consistency and quality of work performance by organisers, stand builders and sub-contractors, freight forwarders and venue operators.

"The implementation of the Technical References has enabled our team to stay more focused on project implementation. They also provide the foundation for consistant, quality results" said Mr Benedict Soh, Group Managing Director of Kingsmen International Pte Ltd and Chairman of Exhibition Management Services Standards Working Committee, and Co-Chair of the Working Group on Safety, Health and Technical Operational Efficiency.

 

1A Technical Reference (TR) is a pre-standard made available to an industry for trial period of two years. The aim is to enable companies in an industry to try it out, gain experience and give feedback on its usefulness and suitability for adoption as a Singapore Standard.

 

Seminar on Singapore Standards for the Built Environment and Design - Enhancing Confidence, Connectivity and Competitiveness

 

 

A one-day seminar on Singapore Standards for Design and Built seminar was held recently at Le Meridien Singapore. Organised by the Singapore Institute of Architects (SIA), SPRING Singapore and Building and Construction Authority (BCA), the seminar helped to raise the awareness of the benefits of standards and standardisation on productivity and competitiveness as well as increased awareness on standards development.


The seminar theme on `Enhancing Confidence, Connectivity and Competitiveness' underlined the importance of standards' contribution to economic growth and this is particularly pertinent in the current economic situation.

 

Attended by a full capacity of around 250 participants, the seminar featured 10 Singapore Standards on building components, materials and IT for the construction industry. Speakers at the seminar included representatives from BCA, SIA, HDB, JTC and the industry.

An important highlight of the seminar was a presentation by BCA on Developments of the National Productivity and Quality Specifications (NPQS).

 

The NPQS project represents a new paradigm for the construction industry by standardising the current design specifications for buildings covering architectural, structural, electrical and mechanical works. It will spell out clearly the performance standards required by this industry and enhance the current information exchange system in the industry. The NPQS project has been identified as the most important productivity driver by the Construction 21 Committee to help raise productivity significantly in the industry. Representatives from key public sector agencies including the PSB, professional institutes and private associations will be involved in the development of NPQS spearheaded by BCA.

 

The major benefit to the industry from the revision of SS 332:2000 is the application of the standard to transom panels over doors, where the panels are contained within the door frame and form part of the door set.

 

As a result of the changes introduced in the SS, the door and transom panel can now be classified together as half-hour fire rated and hence the same timber material can be used for the whole door. This is not only aesthetically pleasing for building owners, it is also far cheaper and easier to install. The timber transom panel replaces non-combustible materials such as brickwork with metal frames as required for one-hour fire-rating.

 

With the introduction of the new SS 332, the savings to developers is substantial and could be in the millions of dollars depending on the scale of the projects. For architects and homeowners, there is more flexibility in the design and hence better aesthetics. Both HDB flats and private housing will benefit significantly from this new standard."