KOSHA intensifies prevention efforts for chemical plants

in cooperation with prevention organizations and associations by providing manuals to prevent accidents from blackout in the summer season

July 9, 2013

KOSHA speeds up its multifaceted efforts to prevent serious accidents which have been on the rise since last year in the chemical plants.

President Hun-ki Baek of KOSHA signed Memorandum of Understanding on preventing fires and explosions in the chemical industry, with Mr. Lee, president of Korea Fire Protection Association, on July 9.

According to the result of analysis on occupational accidents statistics by KOSHA, the number of victims from fires and explosions in the industry over the last three years is 2,334 and it was 820 last year alone.

In that sense, KOSHA decided to work with the Association and provide joint activities: finding out cause of fires and explosions; training of workers on prevention; conducting researches on accident cases; giving safety inspection services to chemical companies.

This signing of MOU was followed by previous MOUs with five associations: The Korean Society of Safety; The Society of Air-conditioning and Refrigerating Engineers of Korea; Korean Society of Occupational & Environmental Medicine; Korean Industrial Hygiene Association; Ergonomics Society of Korea, signed under the purpose of coming up with interventions to prevent chemical leaks and explosions with experts in the academia.

Meanwhile KOSHA has recently developed and provided prevention manuals against black out in the chemical plants as power supply is unstable with soaring demand in the summer.

Unexpected blackout in the chemical plants stops controlling system for risky facilities and have pumps malfunction which can lead to leaks of dangerous chemical materials.

A person from KOSHA said that fires and explosions in the chemical plants not only affect workers there but residents living near the plant, putting emphasis on KOSHA’s strong commitment on preventing accidents through thorough risk assessment for all the processes that deal with chemical materials.

President Baek (6^th from the left) is taking a photo after signing the MOU