Panama has adopted a mandatory standard form for documenting initial building-safety inspections after earthquakes and other disasters, following the October 9 earthquake.
The Junta Técnica de Ingeniería y Arquitectura, or JTIA, approved Resolution 025 on October 21. It was published in the Official Gazette on October 23, formalizing the common inspection form and accompanying certificates announced earlier in the week.
The measure addresses a practical problem in the earthquake response: different inspection teams had been recording their findings using different documents.
The new system combines a professional assessment with a visible certificate intended to help occupants understand a building’s preliminary safety classification.
Tomás Correa, president of the JTIA and the Panamanian Society of Engineers and Architects, explained the four-colour system in comments reported by TVN.
Green indicates that inspectors have not identified risks preventing entry. Yellow signals conditions requiring precautions in part or all of the building. Orange identifies an affected area that could be compromised, while red prohibits access to the structure.
The notices are intended for visible locations such as doors and windows, allowing occupants to see the initial classification before entering.
According to the joint announcement reported by Metro Libre, only appropriately licensed professionals may issue the documents. The form was developed within the framework of Panama’s structural regulations and adopted during the national emergency.
The classifications communicate the findings of an initial inspection. They should therefore be understood alongside the professional assessment supporting them, rather than treated as a general statement about every part of a property.
Sources: Official Gazette, TVN
