Gyeonggi Province Fire Department Cracks Down on 324 Knowledge Industry Centers

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] Manufacturers inside knowledge industry centers (apartment-type factories) in Gyeonggi Province have been repeatedly caught by fire authorities storing large quantities of unauthorized hazardous materials.

The Gyeonggi Province Fire Department announced on the 22nd that it conducted crackdowns to eliminate illegal activities including unauthorized hazardous material handling against 324 knowledge industry centers in the province from August this year through early this month, with 11.4% or 37 facilities found to be 'deficient.'

The provincial fire department filed cases against 15 instances of unauthorized hazardous material storage and handling or failure to appoint a fire safety manager, and imposed administrative fines on 19 cases involving negligence by fire safety managers and obstruction or damage to evacuation and fireproof facilities.

A cosmetics container manufacturing company at one knowledge industry center was caught storing Class 4 alcohol without authorization at 4.5 times the standard limit in its warehouse, and a paint manufacturing company at another knowledge industry center was similarly found storing unauthorized Class 4 petroleum products at approximately 2.6 times the standard limit.

The provincial fire department filed cases against these companies for violations of the Hazardous Materials Safety Management Act.

The companies were found to have indiscriminately used large quantities of unauthorized hazardous materials with high fire risk, receiving bulk shipments at once due to raw material supply issues caused by the COVID-19 spread.

Separately, the provincial fire department also conducted crackdowns on 270 suspect hazardous material storage and handling facilities during the same period, identifying regulatory violations at 55 facilities (20.4%). Among these, 15 cases involving unauthorized hazardous material storage and handling were filed, and 16 cases were subject to administrative fines.

A synthetic resin manufacturing and processing company in the province was also caught storing Class 5 organic peroxides, which carry high fire risk, at a staggering 24 times the standard limit without authorization.

Storing or handling hazardous materials without authorization is subject to imprisonment of up to three years or a fine of up to 30 million won, while violating critical hazardous material storage standards results in a fine of up to 15 million won.

"Cases of storing and handling hazardous materials without authorization that could lead to explosions in fires continue to occur," said Lee Cheon-woo, head of the Fire and Safety Legal Team at the Gyeonggi Province Fire Department. "We plan to implement ongoing guidance and crackdowns to eliminate disregard for fire safety and prioritize management."