Operating a Resident Inspection Request System
Gwangju Bukgu District has launched a large-scale joint inspection of 107 vulnerable facilities to prevent safety accidents caused by ground weakening. Photo by Gwangju Bukgu District
Gwangju Bukgu District has launched a large-scale joint inspection of 107 vulnerable facilities to proactively prevent major safety accidents caused by ground weakening during the spring thaw period.
According to Bukgu District on March 2, the district has designated the period until April 10 as the “thaw season safety management period” and will conduct intensive inspections of disaster-prone facilities within its jurisdiction.
This inspection was arranged to prevent accidents such as ground weakening or facility deformation that may occur as the ground surface, which was frozen during winter, begins to thaw. The facilities subject to inspection include 49 disaster-prone sites such as construction sites and retaining walls, 45 steep slopes in areas such as parks and forests, and 13 small-scale public facilities such as bridges and rivers, for a total of 107 locations.
In particular, a Bukgu District official explained that the “Bukgu Safety Management Advisory Group,” consisting of experts in architecture and civil engineering as well as personnel from facility management departments, will be deployed on-site to enhance the effectiveness of the inspection.
First, for steep slopes, the focus will be on checking for cracks or subsidence on slopes and ensuring the appropriateness of safety facilities such as safety fences. For disaster-prone facilities and small-scale public facilities, the inspection will carefully check for structural defects and damages such as exposed rebar and soil loss. In addition, at 12 construction sites deemed at high risk for major accidents, safety training for the thaw season will be provided to site managers and workers to raise awareness.
Bukgu District plans to immediately address any risk factors discovered during the inspection on site. If significant defects are found, the district will implement proactive control measures such as prohibiting use and restricting access, promptly carry out repairs and reinforcements after a detailed safety assessment, and continue to monitor risk factors through ongoing record management.
Alongside this, the district is actively addressing safety blind spots by operating a “resident inspection request system,” in which residents can report potential daily hazards and have experts dispatched to the site for inspection. Residents wishing to request an inspection can do so through the “Safe Report” application, online portal, or their local administrative welfare center.
A Bukgu District official stated, “The thaw season is when the risk of accidents is highest due to ground weakening,” adding, “We will do our utmost to completely eliminate risk factors in vulnerable areas in advance to ensure that no safety accidents occur.”
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