Presiding over the 'Emergency Heatwave Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Situation Assessment Meeting'
Escalation to Severe Stage, Activation of Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters... First Heatwave Disaster Headquarters
City-Ordered Construction Sites Halt Work Due to Heat... Protection for Outdoor Workers
On June 6, Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon raised the heatwave crisis level to the highest stage, 'Severe,' and ordered the immediate activation of the 'Heatwave Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters (재대본).' This is the first time that Seoul has activated the 재대본 due to a heatwave.
Mayor Oh chaired an 'Emergency Heatwave Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters Situation Assessment Meeting' that morning and instructed, "Mobilize all available means and resources to focus on implementing countermeasures that citizens can feel in their daily lives."
Seoul explained that although the incidence of heat-related illnesses is lower than the same period last year (123 cases), two suspected heat-related deaths occurred within a week, and the heatwave warning, which has been in effect since May 31, has been maintained for seven consecutive days, necessitating consideration of adjusting the heatwave response level for a stronger response.
Accordingly, the city plans to extend the operating hours of shelters where any citizen can escape the heat and actively promote the cooling centers operating throughout the city to increase citizen visits. Customized care for vulnerable groups such as the elderly will also be thoroughly implemented. Heat protection measures for outdoor construction workers vulnerable to heat-related illnesses will be carried out without gaps, and the operation of water-cleaning vehicles and cooling roads will be expanded to directly lower urban temperatures.
Specifically, more than 220 water-cleaning vehicles secured by 25 autonomous districts and the Seoul Facilities Corporation will be mobilized to spray water 5 to 6 times a day between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m., the peak temperature hours, focusing on major arterial roads and general road sections with high pedestrian traffic.
The 'Cooling Road,' which uses subway discharged groundwater to reduce surface temperatures in major urban areas, will operate at maximum capacity during the heatwave period. It will run up to five times a day during heatwave alerts and additionally if sufficient groundwater is available.
Measures for outdoor construction workers vulnerable to heat-related illnesses will also be strengthened. The Seoul City Serious Accident Monitoring Team will be utilized to intensively inspect whether heatwave safety rules are being properly followed at private construction sites. Violations found on-site will be reported to related agencies such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and active measures such as work stoppages and administrative sanctions will be taken.
Mayor Oh said, "After the rainy season, the intense heat has caused two suspected heat-related deaths within a week, and the heatwave with a perceived temperature of around 35 degrees Celsius continues." He urged for focused management of heatwave-vulnerable groups such as residents of jjokbangchon (small-room villages) and elderly single-person households, and for immediate emergency measures in case of heat-related patients, emphasizing the need to devote all efforts to citizen safety.
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