11 to 42 Annual Deaths in Construction Fire Accidents Over 5 Years... Logistics Centers Account for 37%
38 Workers Lost in 'Icheon Hanixpress Fire Disaster and Coupang Accident' etc.
Meeting Held with 8 Companies Including Hyundai Construction, Kolon Global, Hyosung Heavy, Hoban Industry
On April 30 last year, police, fire authorities, and officials from the National Forensic Service conducted a joint inspection at the fire site of the Han Express logistics warehouse construction site in Icheon-si, Gyeonggi-do. (Image source=Yonhap News)
[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] With the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act just over a month away, the government gathered industry officials to convey guidelines and requests for fire accident preparedness in the construction industry. They especially urged caution regarding logistics warehouse fires, such as the tragic fire in a logistics warehouse in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province last year that claimed the lives of 38 workers.
On the morning of the 1st at 10 a.m., the Ministry of Employment and Labor held a winter construction site fire prevention meeting at the Korea Research Institute for Vocational Education & Training in Jung-gu, Seoul, with representatives from the Korea Construction Association and eight construction companies currently building logistics centers. Attendees included safety and health executives or team leaders from the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, the Korea Construction Association, and eight companies including Hyundai Construction, DL Construction, Kolon Global, WooMi Construction, Hyosung Heavy Industries, Hoban Industry, Shinsegae Construction, and LT Sambo. The Ministry explained, "This meeting was organized to discuss safety management measures to prevent fire accidents at construction sites ahead of the enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act at the end of January next year."
According to the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the number of deaths from fire accidents at construction sites over the past five years ranges from 11 to 42 annually. By type of construction, logistics centers accounted for 37%, residential and commercial buildings 28%, and factories 13%. This indicates that logistics warehouses are a frequent site of industrial accident fatalities, underscoring the importance of urging companies to be vigilant to prevent such accidents.
A representative recent logistics center fire accident is the "Icheon fire disaster," which resulted in 38 worker deaths. The fire occurred in April last year during the construction of a new logistics warehouse for Han Express in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. Relatedly, on the 26th of last month, the Supreme Court’s First Division upheld the original sentence of three years imprisonment for the site manager responsible for the Han Express logistics warehouse construction. Subsequently, in June this year, a fire broke out at the Coupang Deokpyeong logistics center, resulting in the death of one firefighter in the line of duty. Large-scale industrial accident fatalities have continued repeatedly, including the January 2008 frozen logistics warehouse fire in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province, which killed 40 people, and the October 1998 insulation material fire at a frozen warehouse construction site in Busan, which killed 27 people.
Regarding logistics warehouses, the Ministry warned that they are structurally vulnerable to fire accidents due to the use of insulation materials (urethane foam), complex internal structures, and insufficient extinguishing time. There is also a high possibility of large-scale disasters if a fire occurs. The main risk factors include the use of insulation materials (urethane foam), complex internal structures, and insufficient extinguishing time. Insulation materials tend to ignite rapidly at temperatures above 400℃. If the fire spreads, workers inhaling toxic gases such as carbon monoxide and hydrogen cyanide are at high risk of death. Therefore, materials like glass wool, which do not easily catch fire, should be used, or ignition points must be completely sealed off.
Since logistics centers are built with complex structures that make evacuation difficult during fires, all workers should be properly educated to recognize evacuation routes during work, and temporary evacuation routes should also be secured. Even with such preparations, fires can engulf the entire building within 10 minutes of detection, so workers should be trained to escape to a safe place first rather than attempting to extinguish the fire immediately after detection.
Outside of logistics centers, the Ministry of Employment and Labor emphasized that basic measures must be strictly observed at construction sites, including eliminating various ignition sources, prohibiting hot work near flammable materials, banning simultaneous work involving hazards, maintaining fire-fighting facilities in proper condition, establishing emergency contact networks, and securing emergency evacuation routes. Kim Gyuseok, Director of Industrial Accident Prevention and Supervision Policy at the Ministry, stated, "We plan to continuously provide guidance and inspections to reduce fatal accidents and prevent fires at construction sites," and requested, "Workplaces should conduct voluntary inspections referring to fire prevention considerations, and only permit work after confirming fire prevention measures are in place, ensuring the 'hot work employer permit system' functions effectively."
The Ministry advised companies to conduct voluntary inspections using the checklist titled 'Voluntary Inspection and Surprise Supervision Guide for Accident Prevention at Construction Sites,' available on local offices’ and the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency’s websites. They also stated that workplaces should prepare a 'workplace self-issued hot work permit' that records safety measures such as work zone designation, ventilation of flammable materials, and worker fire prevention, and only proceed with work after obtaining approval from the responsible person.
Workplace Fire Hazard Work Permit Form. The Ministry of Employment and Labor emphasized, "This fire hazard work permit must be posted at the work site." (Source: Ministry of Employment and Labor)
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