Quick answer: In Singapore, cables that must keep operating during a fire are governed by Clause 5.2.2 of the SCDF Fire Code, which requires compliance with SS 299 — not BS 6387 or IEC 60331 on their own. SS 299 is an adoption of BS 6387:2013 with Singapore modifications, so a BS 6387 type test report is a starting point, not a substitute. Where a cable falls inside SCDF’s regulated product list, conformity must be certified by a Certification Body accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council. A manufacturer’s test report, however good, does not close that gap.
Fire-resistant cable is one of the most commonly mis-specified items in Singapore building submissions. The reason is rarely negligence. It is that the words on a datasheet — fire resistant, LSZH, BS 6387 tested, IEC 60331 compliant — all sound like they are answering the same question, and they are not. They describe different tests, applied to different parts of a cable, proving different things.
This article sets out what the Singapore Civil Defence Force actually asks for, what the referenced standard covers and deliberately leaves out, and what the difference is between a test report and a certificate. If you write specifications, review submissions or supply cable into Singapore projects, these are the distinctions that surface at approval stage rather than at tender stage.
What the SCDF Fire Code Actually Requires
The governing text is short. Clause 5.2.2 of the Fire Code, in the chapter on electrical power supplies, states:
Power supply cables for equipment that are required to operate during a fire emergency shall be of fire resistant type. The fire resistant cables shall comply with SS 299.
Two words in that clause carry most of the weight. “Required to operate during a fire emergency” defines the scope — this is about circuit integrity for equipment that must keep running while the building burns, not about every cable in the building. And “shall comply with SS 299” names one standard, not a family of acceptable equivalents.
A separate route exists for emergency voice communication systems. Clause 5.2.1(d) requires those cables to be fire-rated or otherwise fire-protected in accordance with SS 546. That distinction matters more than it first appears, and we return to it below.
What SS 299 Covers — and What It Excludes
The current edition is SS 299:2021+C1:2024, carrying Corrigendum No. 1 issued in February 2024. Its full title is worth reading in one piece, because the title is the scope:
Fire-resistant cables of rated voltage up to and including 600/1000 V for fixed installations, having low emission of smoke and corrosive gases when affected by fire — Requirements and test methods
The standard sets mechanical, electrical and performance requirements, and defines the test methods for circuit integrity under fire conditions, reduced flame spread, low smoke emission and halogen-free gas release. It applies to armoured and non-armoured fire-resistant cables with two or more insulated conductors, and to single-conductor cables that incorporate an additional metallic element such as armour, a screen or a protective conductor.
Now the part that causes trouble on site. SS 299 excludes mineral insulated copper-clad cables and communication cables.
That exclusion is the single most common source of confusion in fire alarm submissions. A product sold as “fire alarm cable” may be a power and control cable — inside SS 299 — or it may be a signalling and communication cable, which is not. Two cables that look almost identical on a reel, with similar constructions and similar test reports, can sit on opposite sides of that line. Establishing which one you are holding, before it reaches a submission, prevents a rejection that is expensive to unwind once cable is already on site.
SS 299, BS 6387 and IEC 60331: How They Relate
SS 299 is based on an adoption, with modifications, of BS 6387:2013. That single sentence explains most of the confusion in the market, because it makes BS 6387 look interchangeable with SS 299. It is not. “With modifications” is the operative phrase: a cable can hold a valid BS 6387 test report and still not demonstrate conformity to the Singapore text.
Here is how the standards commonly quoted on cable datasheets actually differ:
| Standard | What it proves | Status in Singapore |
|---|---|---|
| SS 299:2021+C1:2024 | Full requirements and test methods for fire-resistant, low-smoke, halogen-free cables to 600/1000 V | The standard named in Clause 5.2.2 |
| BS 6387:2013 | Resistance to fire alone (C), fire with water (W) and fire with mechanical shock (Z) | Parent standard of SS 299, but adopted with modifications — not an automatic equivalent |
| IEC 60331 series | Circuit integrity under flame | One element of fire performance; does not by itself answer Clause 5.2.2 |
| IEC 60332-1 | Flame propagation on a single vertical cable | Flame retardance, not fire resistance — a different property |
| IEC 61034 / EN 61034-2 | Smoke density under defined conditions | Supports the low-smoke element only |
| EN 50200 | Fire integrity of small cables for emergency circuits | Relevant evidence, but a different test regime |
Read down that middle column and a pattern appears. Most of these standards prove one property each. SS 299 asks for a set of properties together, on the same cable construction. A submission that assembles four unrelated reports from four different constructions has not made the case, however impressive the stack of paper looks.
Test Report or Certificate? The Distinction That Decides Approval
SCDF operates a Product Listing Scheme for regulated fire safety products. The list of which products fall inside it sits in Chapter 11 of the Fire Code, and because that list is revised between editions, it should be read against the edition current for your submission rather than from memory.
For products inside the scheme, SCDF’s position is that they are certified by Certification Bodies accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council. The accredited bodies currently recognised include:
- TÜV SÜD PSB Pte Ltd
- SETSCO Services Pte Ltd
- Element Testing Services (S) Pte Ltd
- Singapore Test Lab Pte Ltd
- UL International-Singapore Pte Ltd
- SGS Testing & Control Services Singapore Pte Ltd
- TÜV Rheinland Singapore Pte Ltd
- CODIMI Pte Ltd
- Intertek Testing Services (Singapore) Pte Ltd
- Singapore Laboratory Services Pte Ltd
The practical distinction is this. A manufacturer’s type test report is evidence that a sample of a given construction performed in a given way on a given date. A certificate from an accredited Certification Body is evidence that an independent body has assessed conformity and continues to survey it. Both are legitimate documents. They are not the same document, and they do not carry the same weight in a regulated submission.
Any supplier that blurs the two is, at best, careless. Ask which one you are being given, and ask for the certificate number.
Five Things That Delay Cable Approval
- Quoting the parent standard instead of the Singapore one. “BS 6387 CWZ tested” is a real credential, and it is not what Clause 5.2.2 asks for.
- Treating LSZH as a fire-performance claim. Low smoke and zero halogen describe the compound’s behaviour when it burns. They say nothing about whether the circuit keeps working.
- Presenting a report for a different construction. Test evidence belongs to the exact cable — conductor size, number of cores, screened or unscreened, armoured or not. A 2×1.5 mm² report does not carry a 2×2.5 mm² supply.
- Using a superseded edition. SS 299 carries a 2024 corrigendum. Submissions built on an older text invite avoidable questions.
- Confusing power and control cable with communication cable. SS 299 excludes communication cables. Fire alarm systems routinely contain both.
Where Heizka Cable Stands Today
We would rather state this plainly than let a project discover it late.
Heizka fire-resistant cables are manufactured to IEC 60331-1, IEC 60332-1, CNS 11175, EN 50200, EN 61034-2, BS 5839-1 and BS 6387. Manufacturer type test reports for these standards are available on request, referenced to the specific construction and conductor size supplied. The cables carry a CE EU Declaration of Conformity, are RoHS compliant, and are manufactured in an ISO 9001 certified facility.
Heizka does not currently hold SS 299 certification issued by a Singapore Accreditation Council accredited Certification Body. For any Singapore application governed by Clause 5.2.2 where the product falls inside SCDF’s regulated list, a cable carrying that certification should be specified.
Where Heizka cable is used today is in projects outside that regulated scope, and in markets across Southeast Asia whose approval regimes accept manufacturer type test evidence against the IEC and BS standards listed above. If SS 299 certification is a requirement on a project you are working on, contact us and we will tell you directly whether we can serve it rather than sending you a datasheet and hoping.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a BS 6387 CWZ certificate accepted in place of SS 299?
Not as a direct substitute. SS 299 is an adoption of BS 6387:2013 with modifications, and Clause 5.2.2 names SS 299. Treat a BS 6387 report as supporting evidence and confirm the position with the qualified person for the project.
Does SS 299 apply to fire alarm signalling cable?
SS 299 excludes communication cables from its scope. Whether a particular fire alarm cable is treated as power and control or as communication depends on its construction and function, so this needs to be established per product rather than assumed across a system.
Does LSZH satisfy any part of SS 299?
Low smoke and halogen-free performance is one element the standard addresses, evidenced through the relevant smoke and gas tests. It is one element among several, and on its own it does not demonstrate circuit integrity.
What voltage range does SS 299 cover?
Rated voltage up to and including 600/1000 V, for fixed installations.
Who issues SS 299 certification?
Certification Bodies accredited by the Singapore Accreditation Council. The list above names the bodies currently recognised by SCDF; confirm current accreditation status before relying on a certificate.
This article summarises publicly available requirements as at August 2026 and is written as general technical guidance, not as a compliance opinion. Regulations and standard editions change. Always verify the current Fire Code edition and the current text of SS 299 with SCDF and Singapore Standards before relying on any specification.
Need the test evidence? Heizka supplies manufacturer type test reports referenced to the exact construction and conductor size you are specifying. Request the reports for your project.