Gyeonggi Province will launch a focused crackdown on illegal hazardous materials handling by pharmaceutical companies within the province. The graphic shows illegal hazardous materials handling activities and the corresponding punishment criteria.
[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The Gyeonggi-do Special Judicial Police Unit will conduct intensive crackdowns on violations related to hazardous materials safety management and fire-fighting facilities at pharmaceutical company sites in the province from March 6 to April 14.
The crackdown targets 60 companies registered in the Integrated Pharmaceutical Information System and the Pharmaceutical Industry Information Portal that use hazardous materials or manufacture pharmaceuticals using hazardous materials as raw materials.
The main items for inspection include ▲ installing hazardous material manufacturing facilities without permission ▲ illegal storage and handling of hazardous materials exceeding designated quantities ▲ failure to conduct regular inspections of hazardous materials or falsification of inspection records ▲ closure or blocking of fire-fighting facilities within the workplace, among others.
Under the current "Hazardous Materials Safety Control Act," installing hazardous material manufacturing facilities without permission is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 100 million KRW; storing or handling hazardous materials exceeding designated quantities at locations other than manufacturing sites is punishable by up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW; and failure to conduct regular inspections or falsification of inspection records by those authorized to install manufacturing sites is punishable by up to 1 year imprisonment or a fine of up to 10 million KRW.
Additionally, the "Act on the Installation and Management of Fire-Fighting Facilities" stipulates that closing or blocking fire-fighting facilities that may impair their function and performance is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 50 million KRW.
Hong Eun-gi, head of the Provincial Civil Affairs Special Judicial Police Unit, stated, "Although pharmaceutical companies have used hazardous materials, they have been considered a blind spot in management due to their small scale. This investigation plans to examine the overall fire safety and hazardous materials management status of pharmaceutical companies, as well as hazardous materials indiscriminately used in research institutes and laboratories. We will strongly crack down on violations that threaten the safety of residents."
Previously, a fire presumed to be caused by an explosion of hazardous material vapor occurred at pharmaceutical company A in Hwaseong City last year, injuring 18 people. This year, a fire accident at pharmaceutical and food factory B in Pyeongtaek City also caused significant property damage.
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