Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education Conducts 'School Playground Hazard Inspection'

Damyangnam Elementary School undergoing harmfulness inspection of artificial turf and urethane facilities. Photo by Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Jun-kyung] The Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education announced on the 11th that it will conduct a 'hazardous substance inspection of artificial turf and urethane facilities' targeting 390 schools in the province.

This hazardous substance inspection is scheduled to be conducted from the end of last month until November, targeting schools with artificial turf playgrounds and urethane sports facilities, with a budget of over 500 million won allocated in accordance with the Jeonnam Provincial Office of Education's ordinance on creating eco-friendly playgrounds.

The target schools include 164 schools in the eastern region of Jeonnam and 226 schools in the western region, totaling 390 schools. The inspection team will visit the schools directly to collect samples, which will then be analyzed by testing institutions. The inspection will be entrusted to an accredited testing company.

The main inspection items include 29 chemical substances such as heavy metal content, volatile organic compounds, and total phthalate plasticizer content in the facilities. Each substance will be closely analyzed to determine whether it exceeds safety standards, and the results are expected to be announced by November.

Based on the inspection results, the Office of Education plans to coordinate opinions with schools requesting playground construction to create a safer sports environment.

Kim Seon-chi, Director of the Department of Physical Education, Health, and Arts, said, "We will actively strive to develop and distribute an eco-friendly playground model free of hazardous substances that aligns with Jeonnam's eco-friendly educational environment, so that students in our region can engage in physical activities safely and healthily."