Property companies inspect thousands of balconies after warning about dangerous panels

Major Finnish property companies Lumo Kodit and Sato are inspecting thousands of balconies for dangerous structures after the Safety Investigation Authority (Otkes) warned about hazardous cement fibre panels, Yle reports.

Otkes issued the warning on Thursday after testing the durability of the panels following a fatal balcony accident in Helsinki last September. The accident happened when a balcony panel gave way.

Lumo Kodit business director Ville Raitio said the company owns more than 43,000 properties and is first locating which buildings have the panel type and deciding on repairs. Sato business director Arto Aalto said the company, which manages 27,500 apartments, reviewed balcony structures during the spring and will continue in summer, adding that Otkes’s warning is taken very seriously. A rough estimate suggests fewer than 10 percent of Sato’s balconies may have this panel type.

The Finnish Façade Association (Julkisivuyhdistys ry) issued temporary recommendations in December advising against using cement fibre panels as primary balcony materials. Raitio said Lumo has followed these recommendations and replaced such panels during renovations. Aalto said Sato also received the recommendations, noting the panels have been used from the 1960s to the 2000s and that the company will call in experts to redesign any faulty structure.

Tapio Haltia, senior legal expert at the Finnish Real Estate Association, urged concerned residents to contact their property manager if they suspect a dangerous balcony. Raitio stressed that balconies are safe for normal use and said the company will inspect them and take action if needed, following all official instructions. Aalto said safety is the top priority and that residents will be contacted immediately if problems are found.