[Q&A] Hanwha Daejeon Plant Explosion... "Cleaning Room Where Blast Occurred Was Less Than 50% Automated, Manual Work Required"

Joint Briefing by Yuseong Fire Station, Yuseong-gu Public Health Center, Hanwha Aerospace, and Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency

Both Workers in Their 20s Who Died Were "Non-Regular Employees"

Severely Damaged Bodies Make Identification Top Priority

In the morning of June 1, five workers lost their lives and two suffered severe burns in an explosion at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant located in Oesam-dong, Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. The following are the main points from the on-site briefing provided by Yoon Seongsu, head of the Daejeon Yuseong Fire Station, Gah Jaeung from Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant, and Kang Jaeseok, chief of the Violent Crime Division at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency.

Yonhap News Agency

▲It has been reported that some of the deceased were non-regular workers. Has their identity been confirmed?

=All seven casualties at the scene were professional employees belonging to the production team at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant, not subcontracted workers. Among them, five were regular employees and two were non-regular employees. Unfortunately, both non-regular workers in their twenties lost their lives. Due to the extreme force of the explosion, the bodies are severely damaged. The Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency has formed a dedicated team and is making identification of the bodies kept at the hospital its top priority.

▲Was there a difference in work intensity or expertise between regular and non-regular employees?

=There is no significant difference in the work performed by non-regular employees. These are positions that are linked to future recruitment or conversion to regular employment. All internal safety guidelines were followed prior to being deployed to the site, and at the time of the accident, all required equipment, such as flame-retardant suits, was worn. The ages of the deceased are two in their 50s, one in their 30s, and two in their 20s.

▲What exactly was the cleaning process where the accident occurred, and why was it not automated?

=The process involved washing explosive residues from various tools used in manufacturing rocket launch vehicles and propellants with water and detergent. Because the tools are so complex in shape, full automation could not be implemented. The automation rate for the entire process is less than 50%, and most of the work was done manually by workers.

▲Given the handling of explosives, was the potential risk not recognized in advance?

=Generally, explosives lose their risk when in contact with large amounts of water. For this reason, this was a routine task performed regularly, and neither on-site personnel nor management regarded it as a particularly high-risk process. Details about the specific substance being cleaned at the time of the explosion are directly related to defense industry security, so it is not possible to disclose this information at this time. This will be clarified through a detailed forensic investigation later.

▲What is the condition of the injured, and was there no safety manager present to assist with evacuation?

=The two injured workers escaped from outside the workroom at the time of the explosion and were rescued. Among them, one worker in his twenties, who was working at the time, suffered extensive burns and is currently in critical condition. The other sustained minor burns to the neck and is receiving treatment. There was a supervisor responsible for on-site safety management, but the explosion occurred when he was away from the scene for a short time, so he was not injured. The single-story cleaning room building was completely destroyed by fire after the explosion and is now at risk of collapse, so a safety inspection is being discussed.

▲There have been explosion accidents at this plant before. Were regular fire safety inspections conducted?

=Official fire safety inspections by the fire department were carried out once last year and once this year. At that time, there were some issues raised regarding the replacement of fire equipment in the main building and other areas. However, the cleaning room building, where this accident occurred, was excluded from mandatory reporting and notification to the fire station under fire regulations due to its small size. Whether there was any legal violation by the company or deficiencies in internal inspections will be further investigated by the police.

▲How will the investigation proceed from here?

=The Violent Crime Division at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Agency has launched a dedicated investigation team. Once the identification of the deceased is complete, the police plan to rigorously investigate whether there was negligence in safety management by the company and the specific circumstances of the accident.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.