GIEL Topic 2.3 (common hazards in urban neighbourhoods)

hazards

a process, phenomenon or human activity that may cause loss of life, other health impacts, property damage and social and economic consequences

fire hazards

• Occur in both residential and non-residential areas 

• Common causes : unattended cooking and faulty electrical appliances and wiring can ignite nearby flammable materials

• Example : 

  • In 2021, there were a total of 358 cases of fires due to unattended cooking reported in Singapore. 

  • There has also been an increase in fire cases involving personal mobility devices .

fire hazards impacts

1. health impacts

2. property damage

fire hazards : health impacts

• People may suffer from burn injuries if unable to evacuate in time → may lead to disabilities or death (if serious) 

• Example : there was a total of 3 fire fatalities and close to 200 fire injuries in sg in 2021

• High levels of CO and CO2 may be released during fire, causing CO poisoning → may cause headache, dizziness, weakness, confusion and even lead to loss of consciousness and death → making it harder to escape fire 

• Respiratory problems : 

  • irritants in fire such as acid gases 

  • smoke inhalation may cause breathing difficulties + suffocation, and may lead to death 

fire hazards : property damage

• fires can destroy commercial or residential properties which leads to economic losses as goods, furniture and important documents can get destroyed 

• High costs to repair and rebuild destroyed properties etc 

air pollution

• Occurs due to presence of contaminating or polluting substances in the air that do not disperse properly and hence interfere with human health, welfare or produce other harmful environmental effects

• Common causes : 

  • Industrial and motor emissions : increase in car ownership and usage led to increase as vehicles produce significant amounts of exhaust emissions (such as NO, CO and other pollutants) 

  • Burning vegetation : CO2 and other pollutants are released into the atmosphere when vegetation burns 

  • Example : in the first half of 2019, Singapore saw approximately 555 vegetation fires, a 56% increase in vegetation fires from 2018 due to drier and hotter weathers → resulted in slight deterioration in air quality

air pollution : health impacts

• Respiratory infections, heart diseases and lung cancer

• Pollutants such as soot, smoke, dust and liquid droplets may lead to poor health 

  • high levels of NO may lead to higher risks of asthma in children 

  • may cause lung function decline in older adults as particulate matter can enter the bloodstream and lodge deep in human lungs

traffic hazards

• Common causes : speeding, red-light running, drink–driving 

• Caused by irresponsible motorists who put other road users and themselves at risk 

• Example : in 2021, there was a total of 969 speeding related traffic accidents and 153 accidents that were caused by drink driving 

traffic hazards : health impacts

• People may suffer serious injuries when involved in a traffic accident → disabilities or loss of life

• Example : in 2021, there was a total of 100 traffic accidents in Singapore that resulted in fatalities, 8 were caused by drink-driving