Balconies in Tikkurila accident building sealed off, access to be blocked next week

A housing company in Vantaa’s Tikkurila district has sealed off all balconies in a residential building after a man died in a fall from a fifth-floor balcony on Midsummer Eve, Yle reports.

The man, aged around 30, fell through the glass railing of the balcony to the ground. Authorities confirmed the death.

On Saturday, notices prohibiting balcony use were taped to the doors of all units in the building. The housing company and property manager announced in a statement that the balconies would be placed under an immediate usage ban following the serious accident. Access will be physically blocked next week.

Residents received an email about the restriction on Saturday. For units where occupants were away for the Midsummer holiday, maintenance staff used master keys to enter and post the notices.

A property manager for Lähi-Tapiola, which owns the building, said the balconies had undergone a 10-year inspection this spring. Four were already under a usage ban due to defects, but the balcony involved in the accident was not among them. A follow-up inspection in June found no issues with the railing’s fastenings or glass.

In March 2023, a woman died in a separate Tikkurila building after falling through a glass balcony railing. That incident led to usage bans on nearly 2,000 balconies after investigations revealed the glass type used did not meet point-load requirements.