[Opinion] Persistent Electrical Fire Risks: Causes and Countermeasures

Sangdae Shin, Manager of Busan Regional Headquarters, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency

Last May, a lithium battery production factory located in Hwaseong City experienced a battery fire that resulted in 31 casualties, including 23 deaths.

The sudden loss of many lives shocked numerous citizens and raised awareness about fire safety. When fires occur, they can cause extensive property damage and casualties in a very short time. Five years ago, a fire at an electronic components manufacturing company in Namdong Industrial Complex resulted in nine deaths. Particularly, factories producing electronic products and food are often equipped with cleanroom structures, making it difficult for workers to escape during a fire, which leads to a high number of casualties.

Among fires, electrical fires, which act as ignition sources, have been significant. According to official statistics from the Korea Electrical Safety Corporation over the past three years (2020?2022), the average annual number of fires in South Korea was 38,346, of which 8,404 (about 22%) were caused by electrical factors.

Notably, the frequency of fires is slightly higher in the humid summer months, accounting for 2,523 cases (30%), compared to other months. The winter months of December and January, when electric heating devices are widely used, also show a high incidence of fires.

So why do electrical fires occur more frequently in summer and winter? The causes of electrical fires are diverse.

The main cause is short circuits, which occur when the insulation of wires is damaged, creating a closed circuit within the wire. When a short circuit happens, a large current called a short-circuit current flows, generating sparks that can ignite fires. Another cause is leakage current, which happens when the insulation of wires or electrical devices is damaged, allowing current to escape to the ground or metal enclosures. This leakage can cause heat and lead to fires. Additionally, overheating during the use of electrical devices can cause overcurrent, damaging wire insulation and resulting in fires.

Fires often occur due to the condition of the wires. Continuous exposure to external factors such as intense sunlight and moisture causes the wire insulation to deteriorate, leading to phenomena like wire cracking.

Using electricity under such conditions can lead to incidents where distribution boxes explode with a “pop” sound when water, such as rainwater, penetrates. Moisture and water inside electrical equipment and wires cause invisible leakage currents to flow outward, generating heat that can ignite fires.

Which devices are most prone to fires? According to fire statistics by device type, excluding unknown causes (40%), wiring and wiring devices account for the highest proportion at 20.2%, followed by electrical equipment (10.1%), seasonal devices (8.4%), and lighting/signboards (6.73%).

Thus, fires frequently occur in wiring devices (connection devices) due to overheating and short circuits, in electrical equipment due to overcurrent from power loads, and in seasonal devices such as electric heaters due to leakage current or overheating.

What should be done to prevent these frequently occurring electrical fires?

First, electrical fire accidents can be prevented by practicing the following safety measures based on the condition of wiring and safety awareness to ensure safe electricity use.

First, do not plug multiple plugs into a single outlet. Since fires often occur in wiring and connection devices, it is necessary to minimize environments that can cause overheating of wiring devices.

Second, regularly check the condition of electrical wiring (insulation resistance), install leakage circuit breakers on the power supply side, and inspect them periodically.

Third, maintain a safe distance (clearance) between electric heating devices and flammable materials, liquids, or vapors to prevent creating an environment where electrical devices can act as ignition sources.

Creating an environment that prevents fires is important, but if a fire does occur, measures to minimize casualties must also be implemented.

From an equipment perspective, install fire extinguishers appropriate to the classification (A, B, C, D), develop fire scenarios, and conduct education, training, and evaluations for workers every six months. In case of fire, lighting fixtures may fail due to wire damage, causing darkness inside the factory building and making emergency evacuation difficult. Therefore, especially in cleanroom-type electrical and electronic factories and food production plants, it is necessary to check and adjust the installation and direction of emergency exits, emergency exit signs, and evacuation direction indicators within the factory building.

If partition construction is done after fire facility inspections, it is essential to verify that emergency exits and exit signs are properly installed to prevent significant casualties in the event of a fire.

Since electrical fire accidents can cause extensive property damage and many casualties in an instant, safety prevention activities must not be overlooked before such damage occurs. Implementing improvement measures through regular inspections and preventive actions will allow us to safely use the electricity essential to our lives in the upcoming winter season.