HEADS UP: The Taipei Construction Management Office said it had drafted a new set of regulations following reports of debris falling off the walls of older buildings

Taipei Times
Date: Dec 09, 2019
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

The Taipei Construction Management Office on Saturday said that it has drafted regulations requiring safety inspections of the walls of older buildings after reports of falling debris.

The regulations would require management committees to inspect the outer walls of aging buildings and report regularly on their condition, the office said, adding that it was prompted to draft the rules following frequent reports of ceramic tiles falling from the outside walls of buildings, which could harm pedestrians.

Tiles might come loose as a result of thermal expansion and shrinkage from rapid temperature changes, so it recommends pedestrians walk under covered corridors, the office said.

On Friday morning, a man surnamed Lee (李) was riding his scooter near a commercial building in Taipei’s Zhongshan District (中山) when he was hit on the helmet by a ceramic tile that fell from the outer wall of the structure, local media reported.    [FULL  STORY]