Waterproof tarps are installed on a slope to prevent soil erosion during heavy rain. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]
Waterproof tarps are installed on a slope to prevent soil erosion during heavy rain. [Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Saturday it conducted safety inspections at high-risk construction sites — including demolition and excavation work — to identify and address hazards before accidents occur.

The city said the inspections were aimed at preventing serious accidents such as collapses and falls, and at heading off major construction-site incidents caused by summer heat waves and heavy rain.

The inspections ran for two months, from June 1 through July 31, covering 1,094 sites designated as vulnerable by project-ordering departments and permit-management authorities.

The sites included 224 public construction sites, 178 excavation sites, 160 demolition sites, 32 riverside construction sites and 500 small-scale sites without a designated safety manager.

Private-sector experts, including structural engineers, and civil servants focused on verifying compliance with safety management rules at vulnerable sites such as excavation and demolition projects, and on checking for serious accident risks including falls, entrapment and collisions.

The inspections uncovered a total of 3,218 hazards. The city said it immediately addressed problems including soil erosion from exposed slopes, inadequate installation of safety railings and falling-object prevention nets, and the risk of temporary fencing toppling over.

The city is also conducting comprehensive inspections of 1,111 public infrastructure facilities — including bridges, tunnels, water and sewage systems, and construction sites — where disasters could cause significant damage, with the work continuing through September.

A campaign to prevent heat-related illness among construction workers has also been under way since June. The city has produced promotional materials in eight languages — including English, Chinese and Vietnamese — to inform foreign workers of the five basic heat-safety rules.

"We will continue to prevent serious accidents such as collapses and falls through proactive safety inspections, and will work to establish a culture of safety through campaigns promoting the five basic heat-safety rules," said Choi Jin-seok, director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Disaster and Safety Management Office.


ken@heraldcorp.com