Gyeonggi-do Conducts Special Inspection of 'Everyday Hazardous Facilities' Including Religious Building Steeples

Church steeple, a hazardous structure in daily life

Gyeonggi Province will conduct special inspections of 'everyday hazardous facilities' such as religious facility steeples, rooftop canopies, and solar panels that pose accident risks during strong winds or typhoons until October.

Everyday hazardous facilities include structures installed after permission or notification by market or county heads, such as church steeples, rooftop canopies, and solar panels. As of August 2021, there were 1,025 steeples identified within the province.

This inspection follows the collapse of a church steeple in Sangpae-dong, Dongducheon City, caused by Typhoon Khanun (No. 6) on the 10th of this month.

The inspection targets will be selected after a status survey by September 8. Afterwards, joint inspections by the province and city/county governments accompanied by private experts or inspections conducted independently by city/county governments will be carried out. Any identified hazards will be addressed with safety measures, and administrative actions such as prosecution will be taken if necessary.

Gyeonggi Province also plans to improve related laws for long-term safety management of structures.

Through a research project titled 'Establishment of a Management System for Structures' conducted by the Architecture and Urban Research Institute (AURI) to prepare for wind and flood disasters, plans will be made to strengthen permission standards and facility management criteria for hazardous facilities requiring approval or notification.

Goyongsoo, Director of the Architecture Design Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Strengthening safety management of everyday hazardous facilities is part of efforts to minimize damage from typhoons and protect lives, and through this, we will ensure the safety of the residents."

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