The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters has urged the discontinuation of the use of "pressurized fire extinguishers," which have not been produced domestically since 1999.
There are two types of powder fire extinguishers: pressurized and stored-pressure. Stored-pressure fire extinguishers have a pressure gauge near the handle, whereas pressurized fire extinguishers do not have a pressure gauge.
Pressurized fire extinguishers have separate containers for gas and extinguishing agent inside the extinguisher body, and the extinguishing agent is discharged by gas pressure. Over time, the gas container can corrode, posing a risk of explosion due to internal pressure during use.
The Fire and Disaster Headquarters conducted an urgent inspection of old fire extinguishers over four days from the 27th to the 30th of last month at 459 locations including aging factories, commercial buildings, and apartment complexes in the Gyeonggi area, discovering 25 pressurized fire extinguishers at 9 sites.
Among these, some extinguishers were produced in 1986, making them 37 years old.
The Fire and Disaster Headquarters believes there are still places using or storing pressurized fire extinguishers and has urged prompt replacement.
Earlier, on June 23, a fire extinguisher exploded during a fire evacuation drill at a high school in Thailand, resulting in one student’s death and injuries to 21 others.
In August 2013, at a factory in Seoul, a fire extinguisher exploded the moment it was used, fatally injuring a worker struck by fragments of the extinguisher.
Cho Sun-ho, head of the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "If you find a pressurized fire extinguisher, you must never discharge it. It should be discarded and immediately replaced with a new stored-pressure fire extinguisher. If you have any questions about old fire extinguishers, contact your nearest fire station for an inspection," he urged.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
