Preventing Fires at Battery Facilities... 5 Billion Won Support for Purchasing Dedicated Fire Extinguishers

Ministry of Employment and Labor Implements 'Emergency Safety Support Measures'

The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 18th that it will implement an 'Emergency Safety Support Measure' to provide 5 billion KRW in funding for the purchase of fire extinguishers for battery fires and other related expenses to prevent fire accidents occurring at battery handling workplaces. After conducting on-site inspections and guidance at battery handling workplaces since the end of last month, the ministry reflected necessary items to prepare this measure.

[Photo by Ministry of Employment and Labor]

The Ministry of Employment and Labor will invest a budget of 5 billion KRW to urgently support the purchase costs of fire extinguishing equipment such as fire extinguishers for battery fires, as well as security and evacuation equipment. It will provide funding to ensure that appropriate equipment is introduced at workplaces manufacturing or handling hazardous materials that are difficult to extinguish with general fire extinguishers.

The support targets are workplaces with fewer than 50 employees or small enterprises under the Framework Act on Small and Medium Enterprises, which manufacture or handle substances subject to Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) such as lithium, and primary and secondary battery-related workplaces. The government will support up to 70% of necessary costs, up to a maximum of 30 million KRW per workplace. Applications will be accepted until the 31st of this month.

Additionally, starting today, posters outlining actions to take in case of fire, translated into 16 languages, along with safety and health sign stickers such as emergency exit and no fire signs, will be distributed to workplaces employing foreigners. The stickers are designed as six types of safety and health signs to help foreign workers intuitively locate emergency exits and evacuate during emergencies such as fires.

Fire evacuation training for disaster preparedness, including fire scenarios, will also be included in the employment training course that foreign workers under the Employment Permit System receive during their initial 2 nights and 3 days after arrival. The Ministry of Employment and Labor plans to announce measures to expand safety and health education for foreign workers in Korea as part of the 'Foreign Worker Industrial Safety Enhancement Plan.'

Minister of Employment and Labor Lee Jeong-sik urged, "At battery workplaces, please prioritize urgent tasks such as installing and maintaining emergency exits, equipping appropriate fire extinguishing facilities, attaching safety and health signs, and providing highly practical safety and health education to all workers, including foreigners."

He added, "The government will closely guide and support workplace improvement efforts and develop measures to prevent recurrence of similar accidents by fully reflecting the opinions of the field, experts, and associations," emphasizing, "We will do our best to protect the safe and healthy lives of workers."