Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police Focus Investigation on Unlicensed Car Washer Fluid Manufacturing with High Fire Risk

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province will begin a focused investigation from November 23 to December 18 on illegal manufacturing of car washer fluid without obtaining permits related to hazardous materials.

Ethanol, the main ingredient of car washer fluid, is a highly flammable hazardous material that requires approval from the competent fire chief when handled in quantities of 400 liters or more.

During the winter season, when the risk of fire increases, special attention must be paid to compliance with safety procedures.

The investigation targets approximately 20 car washer fluid manufacturers in industrial complex-concentrated areas within the province.

The main investigation subjects are ▲manufacturing car washer fluid using ethanol (400 liters or more) without installing hazardous material handling facilities ▲storing ethanol (400 liters or more) without installing hazardous material storage facilities ▲compliance with safety management standards when handling hazardous materials, etc.

According to the Hazardous Materials Safety Management Act, illegal handling of hazardous materials without permits for manufacturing facilities can result in imprisonment of up to 5 years or a fine of up to 100 million won.

In-chikwon, head of Gyeonggi Province's Special Judicial Police Unit, stated, “Handling large quantities of hazardous materials without permits is likely to lead to large-scale fires,” and added, “We will thoroughly investigate illegal handling and manufacturing practices to do our best in preventing fire accidents.”