Balcony inspections may uncover hundreds of hazards in Pori

Safety inspections of balconies are beginning in Satakunta, with hundreds of potentially dangerous structures feared to exist in Pori alone, according to Yle. The nationwide inspection and repair effort could take years in some places.

The Finnish Safety Investigation Authority said in May that cement fibre boards do not provide protection against falls and issued a safety notification. The boards were widely used in apartment buildings constructed especially between the 1960s and 1980s.

The material, also known as Mineriit board, can break under the force of even a small child, according to the authority’s findings. Peter Hillman, chair of the Satakunta Property Managers’ Association, said the exact number of potentially dangerous balconies is not known and urged property managers to examine their structures without delay.

In newer buildings, balconies with glass railings constructed between 1990 and 2023 may also pose a safety risk. More detailed regulations for balcony design have applied since 2023.

Thousands of balconies to be inspected in Pori

The city of Pori’s building control unit estimates that thousands of balconies will need to be inspected within the city. Marko Kallunki, head of the unit, estimates that hundreds may be potentially dangerous and says the work could take years.

A key difficulty is that precise information about the structures of older balconies is not available in Pori or elsewhere. The Ministry of the Environment has urged municipalities to investigate balcony structures and repair any features that reduce safety.

Risks can only be assessed from inside

Every balcony considered potentially dangerous must be inspected from the inside, because possible risks cannot be seen from outside. Not all cement fibre boards necessarily need to be replaced.

Hillman said safety can also be improved by changing the balcony’s interior cladding. Apartment owners are responsible for the repair costs, which he described as small compared with the value of a home.

Only a trained professional can assess structural defects and safety risks. The responsibility for the safety and inspection of balcony structures at detached houses lies with the owners.