Songpa-gu Improves Poor Rest Areas for Environmental Officers

Seo Gang-seok District Mayor Keeps Promise After Site Visit...Last Year's Heavy Rain Flooded Part of Environmental Officer Rest Area...Mayor Seo Promises Improvements...All Four Underground Rest Areas Moved Above Ground...Home Appliances and Furniture Also Replaced

This summer, record-breaking heatwaves led to a series of heat-related illnesses among outdoor workers such as cleaners, delivery personnel, and parking managers. As calls for improving their working conditions grew louder in society, Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) has continued efforts to improve treatment by relocating all rest areas for environmental public officers to above ground.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, explained the background, saying, “Last summer, after taking office as mayor, I visited the field and saw the poor rest areas for environmental public officers located in the basement. Since those who perform essential tasks to maintain urban functions need rest areas the most, we immediately started improvements.”

According to the district, in August last year, record-breaking heavy rains in the metropolitan area caused flooding in some of the environmental public officers’ rest areas located underground. Although these officers worked hard to handle the mountain of flood-damaged waste for residents, the rest spaces where they could relax actually decreased.

In response, the district immediately allocated supplementary budgets in September last year to completely replace old appliances and furniture in 13 environmental public officers’ rest areas, and moved three rest areas from underground to above ground.

For the remaining one rest area, where it was difficult to find an alternative location, a new space was created using the Bangi-dong donation facility (Bangi-dong 39).

On the 20th, the district held an opening ceremony for the environmental public officers’ rest area at the donation facility, commemorating the relocation of the last underground rest area in Songpa-gu.

The new rest area in Bangi-dong is 74㎡ in size and includes a shower room, laundry room, kitchen, and relaxation space.

One environmental public officer shared, “Working all day inhaling dust on the streets, the rest area was underground, so even during breaks, we had to breathe stale air. Now, we have a space where we can avoid the heat and cold, wash up comfortably, and rest, which makes me want to work more.”

In addition, to prepare for the heatwave, the district supplies functional cool T-shirts to environmental public officers and has purchased 80 eco-friendly street sweepers and leaf blowers to improve work efficiency and use for street cleaning.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “I am very pleased to have kept the promise to improve the rest areas for environmental public officers,” and added, “We will continue to carry out meticulous administration to care for those who quietly work in difficult conditions to serve the residents.”