7 Central Ministries, Gyeonggi-do, and Private Sector Participation
Focused Discussion on Safety Inspection-Based Issues and More
A pan-government task force (TF) has been launched to establish measures to prevent the recurrence of the fire at the Hwaseong battery factory, which resulted in over 20 casualties. The TF plans to formulate countermeasures by the end of next month through safety inspections and discussions with private experts.
According to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, on the 4th, the first meeting of the pan-government joint "Battery Factory Fire Recurrence Prevention TF," chaired by Minister Lee Sang-min of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, was held. The TF is composed of seven central government ministries including the Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, National Fire Agency, as well as Gyeonggi Province and private experts.
Minister Lee stated, "Since the 25th of last month, the government has been conducting safety inspections on primary and secondary battery manufacturers and secondary battery utilization facilities with high fire risks. Any confirmed violations found during the safety inspections will be strictly dealt with, and issues pointed out on-site as well as difficulties faced by companies will be a focus of discussion within the TF to be reflected in the recurrence prevention measures."
In addition, the TF plans to discuss domestic responses and technologies related to metal fires such as lithium fires, which were pointed out as inadequate in this incident. During this meeting, the following were discussed: ▲ strengthening certification and safety inspections for lithium batteries ▲ establishing safety technologies for metal fires and developing fire response technologies and equipment ▲ enhancing safety management of hazardous chemicals at battery companies ▲ reinforcing safety education and evacuation drills for all workers, including dispatched day laborers and foreign workers.
The TF will hold meetings every two weeks to discuss the investigation of the fire causes and the tasks to be promoted by each subcommittee to prepare recurrence prevention measures.
Minister Lee emphasized, "It is of utmost importance to establish fundamental recurrence prevention measures to ensure that similar disasters do not happen again. The government will promptly prepare improvement plans focused on prevention through collaboration with private experts and related ministries."
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