Reducing LP Gas Accidents... Increasing Butane Can Burst Prevention Performance and Introducing Leak Prevention Safety Devices

Ministry of Industry Announces Comprehensive Measures for LP Gas Accident Prevention

The government has decided to strengthen the rupture prevention performance of butane canisters and introduce safety devices to prevent gas leakage accidents in order to reduce liquefied petroleum (LP) gas accidents.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced that on the 17th, Second Vice Minister Choi Nam-ho visited an LPG filling station located in Guri, Gyeonggi Province, to directly inspect the safe operation of the filling station facilities and listen to the voices from the field regarding gas safety management from filling station and Korea Gas Safety Corporation officials, aiming to prevent safety accidents in advance during the summer vacation season when vehicle movement is high.

Vice Minister Choi checked the thorough implementation of the "LPG Filling Station Safety Management Enhancement Measures (announced on February 16)" which includes securing safety in filling procedures to prevent human errors, following the LPG filling station explosion accident in Pyeongchang, Gangwon Province, caused by human error earlier this year.

In addition, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to establish and implement from the 18th a "Comprehensive LP Gas Accident Prevention Plan" to prevent butane canister rupture accidents due to increased summer camping and accidents caused by user negligence at LPG cylinders and storage tanks, which are key facilities for low-income fuel users, beyond just LPG filling stations.

This plan includes four major strategies and 18 key tasks: minimizing the occurrence of 'human errors,' which are the comprehensive cause of LP gas accidents; strengthening safety management to reduce the possibility of accidents even if human errors occur; actively discovering and resolving blind spots in LPG accidents in daily life; and enhancing private sector capabilities for operators and workers, who are the main agents of on-site safety management, to comply with safety regulations.

Specifically, the plan promotes strengthening product safety performance by increasing the bonding strength to withstand internal pressure during the operation of the rupture prevention function of butane canisters. It also mandates the installation of oxygen deficiency safety devices on heating products used outdoors to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning accidents.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, together with the Korea Gas Safety Corporation, will regularly check the implementation status of each task to create a safe LPG usage environment.

Vice Minister Choi said, "While faithfully implementing the currently ongoing LPG filling station safety management enhancement measures, we will also strengthen safety management for butane canisters, cylinders, and storage tanks commonly encountered in daily life to create a safe usage environment for LP gas, a low-income fuel, ensuring gas safety that allows the public to use it with peace of mind and safety."