Safety Inspection of Religious Facility Steeples in Gangbuk-gu Using Drones

Safety Inspection of Steeples Using Drones at Six Religious Facilities...Supplementing Visual Inspection Weaknesses to Identify Vulnerable Areas

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Gyeom-su) conducted safety inspections of steeples using drones at six religious facilities in the area, including Suyu-dong Catholic Church, over two days from December 19 to 20 last year.

Prior to this, following a series of church steeple collapses nationwide due to Typhoon Lingling last summer, the district launched a full survey of religious facilities. Among a total of 362 locations, 60 facilities had steeples installed, and based on this, safety inspections were carried out with experts.

The drone inspections were conducted at facilities deemed difficult to access and with a high risk of accidents such as falls. Drone usage was combined with visual inspections to accurately observe the steeples. The investigation was carried out through the voluntary contributions of Jo Han-kwang, Director of the Safety City Center at the National Safety Competency Association, Kim Sang-hwan, Drone Practical Evaluation Instructor, and Atom Engineering (CEO Kim Jae-hyun), a safety diagnosis company.

The 360° digitally captured footage provides various information such as the height of the steeple, location and extent of damage, and area affected. Additionally, high-resolution photos help identify parts that are easily missed by the naked eye, ensuring objectivity in the evaluation.

The district plans to notify owners and church officials of repair and reinforcement requirements for facilities needing attention and will request thorough safety management going forward.

With the enforcement of the “Act on the Promotion and Foundation of Drone Utilization” in May this year, the necessity of using drones in work processes is emerging.

The district plans to actively utilize drones this year for feasibility studies and analysis of pre- and post-processes in urban regeneration projects.

Gangbuk-gu Mayor Park Gyeom-su said, “The use of drones is expected to improve work efficiency in the safety inspection of church steeples,” adding, “We will establish a more efficient maintenance system including drones to minimize damage to residents that may occur during disaster situations.”