"Preventing the 2nd Arisel Fire Accident"... Hwaseong City Promotes Establishment of 'Industrial Safety Headquarters'

Decision to Request the Establishment of an Industrial Complex Management Corporation in Gyeonggi-do

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced on the 28th that it will promote the establishment of an 'Industrial Safety Headquarters' to prevent industrial site accidents such as the Arisel factory fire.

Jung Myung-geun, mayor of Hwaseong, explained the background for promoting the establishment of the Industrial Safety Headquarters, saying, "The Arisel factory fire accident in Hwaseong highlighted the importance of preventing major disasters in advance."

The city is pushing for the establishment of the Industrial Safety Headquarters because, despite having a vast area 1.4 times larger than Seoul with many companies scattered throughout, basic local governments lack the authority to inspect and manage industrial safety facilities, making it impossible to implement effective on-site safety measures. In fact, Hwaseong has 22 industrial complexes covering a total of 24 million square meters. The number of manufacturing companies in Hwaseong is 28,590, the highest in the country, and the number of foreign workers is also the largest nationwide at 23,465.

Kim Kwang-jae (left), Director of Hwaseong Industrial Promotion Agency, Jeong Myeong-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong, and Ahn Sang-gyo, President of Hwaseong Chamber of Commerce and Industry, are discussing measures to support the bereaved families of the victims of the Arisel factory fire accident at Hwaseong City Hall.
[Photo by Hwaseong City]

Accordingly, the city plans to establish the Industrial Safety Headquarters within the Hwaseong Industrial Promotion Agency to intensively diagnose industrial safety facilities and create an on-site support system under city leadership. The Industrial Safety Headquarters will include a 'Safety Supervision Planning Team' and a 'Safety Prevention Support Team' to conduct safety inspections and management for high-risk companies, provide industrial safety education including for foreign workers, train experts, and support the construction of safety facilities.

Along with this, the city intends to gradually expand dedicated safety management organizations by requesting the establishment of an 'Industrial Complex Management Corporation' in Gyeonggi Province.

Meanwhile, the city signed a business agreement with the Hwaseong Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Hwaseong Industrial Promotion Agency to support job placement and education for the bereaved families of the victims of the Arisel factory fire. Support will also be provided for the children of the bereaved families. The city plans to expand support projects so that they can receive educational benefits through the Hwaseong Talent Development Foundation.