Fire Safety Agency Conducts Emergency Fire Safety Inspection of Battery-Related Facilities

A fire at a lithium battery manufacturing plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, which resulted in about 30 casualties, has prompted the National Fire Agency to conduct a two-week fire safety inspection of battery-related facilities.

On the 25th, firefighters are searching for missing persons at the site of a fire at a primary battery manufacturing factory in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

On the 25th, the National Fire Agency announced that it will carry out an emergency fire safety inspection of 213 battery-related facilities nationwide from that day until July 9.

The previous day, a fire at the Arisel plant in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, caused about 30 workers to be killed or injured.

The fire is believed to have started during the inspection and packaging process of stored battery cells, leading to a chain explosion that rapidly expanded the fire. The cause is currently under investigation. A joint on-site investigation with related agencies, including the National Forensic Service, is scheduled for the morning of the same day.

To prevent similar accidents by eliminating fire hazards in advance, the National Fire Agency plans to focus on confirming ▲ safety management status of workplaces with large quantities of battery products ▲ maintenance of fire-fighting facilities and evacuation/fire prevention facilities ▲ compliance with hazardous materials storage, handling, and safety management regulations ▲ safety management of electricity and gas ▲ securing at least two emergency exits inside the factory ▲ safety education such as evacuation procedures for foreign workers in case of fire, in cooperation with related agencies including the Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Environment, and local governments.

Park Seong-yeol, head of the Fire Prevention Division at the National Fire Agency, stated, "If any laws are violated, strict measures will be taken in accordance with relevant laws and regulations."