Gwangju Gwangsan Fire Station Urges Prevention of Welding Spark Fires at Construction Sites

Gwangju Gwangsan Fire Station announced on the 11th that it is urging fire prevention measures against welding sparks causing fires at construction sites and other locations as the winter season, which has a high risk of fire, approaches.

According to statistics from the National Fire Agency, there have been 3,217 fire incidents caused by sparks and welding flames during welding, cutting, and grinding work over the past three years, resulting in 226 casualties and property damage worth 68.9 billion KRW.

Construction sites contain many flammable materials such as Styrofoam, increasing the likelihood of fires caused by sparks generated during welding work.

In particular, large construction sites often store materials in internal spaces such as underground parking lots, which can lead to large-scale fires if a fire breaks out.

To prevent such fires, safety rules must be followed, including ▲designating and deploying fire watchers ▲maintaining a safety distance of at least 15 meters from flammable materials ▲placing fire extinguishers within a 5-meter radius of workers ▲and checking for remaining embers around the work area after work.

Kim Young-il, head of Gwangsan Fire Station, said, “Construction sites use many flammable materials, so fires can easily escalate into large-scale fires. We ask construction site personnel to comply with safety rules to create a safe working environment.”