Results of inspections at 97 locations until March 31 confirm 17 violations... 8 fines, 9 on-site corrections
Various types of hazardous materials in daily life such as acetone, waterproofing agents, diffusers, solid fuels
[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] The Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 20th that it conducted surprise inspections on hazardous materials vendors to prevent large-scale fires and identified 8 locations illegally storing or handling hazardous materials.
This inspection included commonly used chemical products in daily life such as diffusers, waterproofing agents, solid fuels, and vehicle oils. According to verification by the National Fire Research Institute, these products were confirmed to be classified as hazardous materials.
Accordingly, the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters formed an inspection team and conducted surprise inspections from February 24 to March 31. The targets of the inspection were 97 locations including online vendors, logistics facilities, and chemical product handling companies.
As a result, 17 violations were confirmed, leading to 8 fines and 9 on-site corrections. The main violations involved storing or handling hazardous materials below the permit standard without proper facilities, which violated the Seoul Metropolitan Government's Hazardous Materials Safety Management Ordinance. For example, A Construction Materials in Eunpyeong-gu was caught storing and handling 600 kilograms of solid fuel for winter concrete curing in an outdoor material warehouse on the first floor and in front of the store without appropriate hazardous material facilities. B Branch in Geumcheon-gu was fined for unauthorized storage of 2,000 liters of paint remover for construction materials in front of the store after being caught by the inspection team.
Under the Hazardous Materials Safety Management Act, storing or handling hazardous materials exceeding the designated quantity in places other than manufacturing sites can result in imprisonment for up to 3 years or a fine of up to 3 million won.
Choi Tae-young, head of the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters, said, “Hazardous materials stored without adhering to safety standards can lead to large-scale fires,” and added, “We will continue inspections and public awareness campaigns to improve the safety management of hazardous materials around living environments.”
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