Preventing Resident Harm and Commercial District Decline Caused by Signboard Accidents
Seocho-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) conducted a public-private joint safety inspection of outdoor advertisements to prevent accidents caused by heavy snow and strong winds during the winter season.
Signboards are a key advertising medium that provides information about stores, but if not properly managed, they can lead to accidents such as toppling or detachment due to heavy snow and strong winds. Since signboard accidents can reduce pedestrian traffic and lead to commercial district decline, safety inspections to prevent such accidents are essential.
The inspection focused on multi-use facilities with high foot traffic such as terminals, stations, and shopping areas, vulnerable areas like main roads and residential neighborhoods, and outdoor advertisements within the district that had been installed for over a year since the last inspection.
Initially, a visual inspection was conducted together with the local community centers. Afterwards, a public-private joint inspection team consisting of seven members, including employees from the Seocho-gu Urban Planning Division and professional technicians from the Seoul Outdoor Advertising Association, thoroughly checked a total of 368 outdoor advertisements for safety risks.
As a result of the inspection, one aged freestanding signboard at risk of falling was discovered and has already been removed. The district plans to continue regular inspections and pay close attention to unreported unauthorized hazardous advertisements.
Meanwhile, the district published the "Seocho-gu Outdoor Advertisement Display Method Guide," which explains the difficult installation regulations in an easy and clear manner, and produced the "Safety Inspection Notice for Outdoor Advertisements in Preparation for Wind and Flood Disasters" to encourage voluntary inspection and maintenance by advertisement managers.
Additionally, the district carried out a "Signboard Improvement Project," which involved removing aged or damaged signboards and installing energy-saving LED signboards reflecting the characteristics of the streets, receiving great response from signboard owners and building landlords.
Mayor Jeon Seong-su stated, "Safety management of outdoor advertisements is essential to prevent unexpected accidents," and added, "Through thorough preparation and inspection, we will create safe streets where residents can walk with peace of mind."
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