Fire Safety Survey of 190,000+ Factories and Warehouses Nationwide... First Joint Investigation by Relevant Ministries

Ministry of Land, Fire Agency, and Ministry of Climate to Launch Joint Investigation Team

Small-Scale High-Risk Factories and Defense Industry Companies Also Under Investigation

The government has announced a joint investigation by relevant ministries to determine whether all factories and warehouses registered nationwide meet fire safety performance standards. While each responsible ministry has previously checked compliance with individual laws such as the Building Act and the Fire Services Act, this is the first time a comprehensive survey of this kind will be conducted.

Factories handling flammable and hazardous materials will also be investigated separately, even if they are small and not officially registered. During the inspection process, which will continue until the end of next year, any violations found will be subject to immediate corrective action. The government also plans to provide incentives for increased safety investments as part of an overall policy package.

On June 12, at an economic ministers' meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Koo Yooncheol, the government discussed plans to conduct a fire safety survey of factories and warehouses. The need for effective management measures arose following a string of incidents, including the Daejeon Safe Industry fire in March and the Hanwha Aerospace explosion accident in June, which resulted in casualties.

On the 1st, an explosion accident occurred at Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon Plant in Yuseong-gu, Daejeon. Photo by Yonhap News

This joint investigation will target 190,000 buildings with a total floor area of 500 square meters or more, out of 730,000 factories and warehouses nationwide, as these are subject to fire spread and collapse prevention regulations under the Building Act. In addition, hazardous material storage facilities and high-risk sites will be investigated even if they are under 500 square meters. State security facilities, such as defense industry companies, will also be included. The government will conduct a pilot survey of 100 buildings by next month to finalize detailed investigation methods and staffing plans.

The comprehensive survey will be carried out in three stages according to fire risk and will continue through the end of next year. First, from September through the end of this year, 40,000 high-risk factories that handle hazardous materials will be investigated. In the first half of next year, another 40,000 high-risk sites will be inspected. The remaining factories and warehouses will then undergo the main survey by the end of next year. The joint task force, composed of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, and the National Fire Agency, will include private-sector experts such as architects and fire safety engineers, as well as young professionals with technical certifications.

Any violations or safety management shortcomings found on-site, such as illegal expansions, will be subject to immediate corrective action. After the survey, the government will review the overall system and supplement regulations by ministry. To ensure that this survey is not just a one-off effort, a platform will be established to register and manage inspection results by ministry. The government stated, "Based on the survey results, we will quickly establish comprehensive measures to strengthen factory fire safety, including stricter safety standards and expanded incentives for safety investments."

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