The Seoul city government announced on the 25th that starting in October, it will mandate the submission of video recordings when performing road excavation work. Such video records must be submitted to complete the project when conducting road excavation work for electric, communications, and city gas utilities.
The mandatory video recording for road excavation work is a measure to strengthen safety management of underground installations, addressing issues such as sewer pipe damage and delays in leak recovery that may occur during the excavation process. In Seoul, approximately 35,000 road excavation permits are processed annually.
The management of video records for road excavation will apply starting in October, from the point of application for construction permits. After applying for permission, the applicant must submit the video recordings before the completion report is filed, according to the conditions of the 'Road Excavation Permit Coordination Implementation Conditions (Video Record Management)' set by the water supply and sewerage management agencies, and ensure there are no issues.
Applicants must take video footage of the excavation site and the status of the water supply and sewer pipes immediately after road excavation. They must also capture the conditions of any damage or displacement of the water supply and sewer pipes before backfilling for road restoration.
The Seoul city government plans to establish a 'Road Excavation Restoration System' by next year that will allow videos to be uploaded online. This system will enable the entire process, from applying for permits to completing projects related to road excavation, to be conducted via the internet without needing to visit the district office.
Kim Seung-won, director of construction technology policy at the Seoul city government, noted, "We will continue to strive in various ways to ensure the safety of urban infrastructure closely related to citizens' lives."