Ministry of Industry Shifts Electrical Safety Inspections for General Homes to 'Continuous and Non-Face-to-Face'

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] The safety inspection system for electrical facilities in general houses and other buildings will shift from the existing 1-3 year cycle with one-time on-site visits to a continuous, non-face-to-face inspection system.

On the 3rd, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the 'Public-Private Council for Promoting Remote Electrical Safety Inspections' and announced the 'Plan to Revise the Electrical Facility Safety Inspection System for General Houses and Others,' which includes this change.

Since 1973, the government has conducted electrical safety inspections by visiting on-site once every 1 to 3 years for electrical facilities installed in houses and streetlights. However, due to difficulties in face-to-face inspections caused by the recent spread of COVID-19 and the aging of electrical facilities, it was judged that intermittent inspections are insufficient to ensure safety. Therefore, the safety inspection system itself will be restructured.

The revision plan introduces a continuous, non-face-to-face remote inspection system using remote inspection devices, communication networks, and control systems. When abnormal signals such as leakage or overcurrent occur, the owner or resident will be notified in real time to receive immediate safety inspections. To this end, remote inspection devices will be first installed on streetlights, traffic lights, and CCTV, and pilot installations will be conducted by 2024 for aging houses of vulnerable groups and multi-use facilities. From 2025, all general houses will be equipped with remote inspection functions linked to Korea Electric Power Corporation's Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI).

Additionally, it will be mandatory to conduct detailed indoor and outdoor electrical safety inspections when selling or renting houses that are over 15 years old, and attach an electrical safety inspection certificate at the time of sale or lease contracts.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "The transition to a remote inspection system is expected to significantly reduce manpower and budget costs," adding, "The saved manpower and budget will be reallocated to high-risk facilities and new technology electrical facilities such as energy storage systems (ESS)."