Jung-gu, Seoul Develops "Safety Manual for Crowd Accidents at Large-Scale Stores" Such as Department Stores

Jung-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Kim Gilseong) announced on April 21 that it has developed the nation's first "Safety Management Guidelines and Crisis Situation Manual for Large-Scale Store Crowd Accidents" to prevent crowd-related incidents and respond systematically at large retail facilities. Large-scale stores refer to department stores, hypermarkets, and complex shopping malls with a sales floor area of at least 3,000 square meters.

On-site response consultation at Jungbu Fire Station. Provided by Jung-gu.

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In January of this year, the "Framework Act on the Management of Disasters and Safety" was amended to newly classify "indoor safety accidents" as a disaster category. The manual includes practical guidelines that can be immediately applied in the field, such as standards for maximum indoor occupancy and step-by-step response procedures based on on-site crowd density.

The guidelines reflect the characteristics of large-scale stores and classify crowd gathering types into three categories: pre-announced festivals and events, regularly occurring crowding, and unpredictable crowding (such as facility malfunctions). Situations according to on-site crowd density are divided into three stages, with specific actions prescribed for each stage.

In addition to specifying the duties of on-site organizations, the guidelines also include "citizen action instructions" to ensure the safety of district residents. Practical coping methods, such as how to secure breathing space in a crowd, are also detailed.

The district completed the manual through collaboration between the public and private sectors without additional budget. Namdaemun Police Station and Jungbu Fire Station provided advisory services for on-site response systems, while the Korea Electrical Engineers Association participated in technical consulting as a volunteer contribution.

The district has distributed the completed manual to large-scale stores within its jurisdiction and posted it on its website. The manual will also be shared with other institutions to promote the model, and its field effectiveness will be enhanced through monitoring and simulation training.

District Mayor Kim Gilseong stated, "I hope that the newly developed indoor crowd accident manual will help reduce confusion on site and serve as a guide to ensure the safety of our residents. We will continue to take proactive measures to strengthen crisis response and make Jung-gu the safest district."

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