Ensuring Safety in Apartment Complexes for Winter Preparation

Seoul Gangseo-gu Launches Winter Preparedness Safety Inspections for Apartment Complexes...Focused Checks on Main Structural Conditions of 314 Complexes and 1,336 Buildings

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) will conduct safety inspections on multi-family housing and disaster-vulnerable facilities from the 11th to the 27th to prepare for winter safety accidents.

This is to prevent safety accidents by pre-inspecting risk factors within apartment complexes caused by low humidity in winter, cold waves, ground freezing, heavy snowfall, and other factors.

The inspection targets include a total of 314 complexes, 1,336 buildings of multi-family housing such as apartments, rental housing, and small-scale multi-family housing, as well as auxiliary facilities such as retaining walls, stone walls, and fences.

For specific management target apartments and row houses over 15 years since completion, voluntary management target complexes under 15 floors, and small-scale multi-family housing (213 complexes, 586 buildings), the district will select safety inspection experts (architects) to conduct joint inspections.

Apartments over 16 floors, mandatory management target complexes, and rental housing (101 complexes, 750 buildings) will conduct self-inspections according to safety inspection checklists by each complex's management entity and submit the inspection forms to the district office.

The main inspection items include ▲damage or cracks in major structural parts such as columns and beams ▲risk of structures due to ground subsidence ▲overload conditions such as rooftop water tanks and stored items ▲damage or corrosion of children's playground facilities ▲damage, cracks, or deterioration of retaining walls, fences, and stone walls.

Facilities identified during the inspection will be immediately repaired, reinforced, or otherwise secured by the owners or managers.

Especially, facilities with vulnerable safety and disaster risk will be designated as disaster-risk facilities, and emergency measures such as usage restrictions or prohibitions will be implemented if necessary. They will be specially managed according to relevant regulations until unsafe factors are resolved.

A district official said, "Through this multi-family housing safety inspection, we will thoroughly prepare for the upcoming winter cold waves and heavy snowfall," adding, "We will continue to improve vulnerable parts of multi-family housing through ongoing pre-inspections and create a safe residential environment free from disaster concerns."

Meanwhile, the district minimized damage during the rainy season by discovering 26 risk factors in advance through a multi-family housing safety inspection conducted last June.

For detailed inquiries, contact the Housing Division of Gangseo-gu Office.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.