"Preventing a Second Gangneung Pension Disaster"... Mandatory CO Detectors in Pensions and Guesthouses

'The 2nd Basic Gas Safety Management Plan'... 5-Year Policy Directions
Mandatory CO Alarms for New Gas Boiler Installations
Safety Devices Including Gas Shutoff on LPG Small Tanks
Mandatory Burst Prevention Devices on Butane Cans... Strengthened Core Facility Management

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] From now on, the installation of carbon monoxide detectors will be mandatory in accommodations such as pensions and guesthouses. This is to prevent a 'second Gangneung pension accident.' LPG small tanks installed in houses and restaurants will be equipped with safety devices such as gas shut-off devices from the manufacturing stage.

On the 5th, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy finalized the '2nd Basic Gas Safety Management Plan' and presented the basic direction of gas safety management policies for the next five years.

This basic plan is a statutory plan established every five years, providing a comprehensive safety management plan for high-pressure gas, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), and city gas, which are widely used from cooking and heating to industrial and power generation purposes.

First, carbon monoxide (CO) detectors will be mandatory in existing facilities such as accommodations and rural guesthouses, which are used by unspecified large numbers of people and have a high risk of accidents. This is to prevent accidents like the 'Gangneung pension disaster' in December 2018, where three high school students died and seven were seriously injured due to CO poisoning.

Starting this year, when gas boiler manufacturers sell boilers, they will also provide detectors, making the installation of CO detectors mandatory when installing gas boilers.

Additionally, projects to replace rubber hoses with metal pipes and to expand the distribution of timer cock gas safety devices will be promoted to reduce gas accidents.

For LPG small tanks (under 3 tons), whose installation has recently surged in houses and restaurants, safety devices such as gas shut-off devices will be attached from the manufacturing stage within this year. A remote management system for small tanks that automatically notifies suppliers and remotely shuts off gas supply in case of leakage will be prioritized for social welfare facilities.

Butane cans, frequently used outdoors or in restaurants, will be required to have rupture prevention functions to prevent gas accidents caused by ruptures.

Furthermore, to manage low-pressure hydrogen, a Hydrogen Act will be enacted to establish a global-level safety management system covering the entire hydrogen value chain, including production, transportation, storage, and utilization.

A dedicated hydrogen safety management organization will be established within the Korea Gas Safety Corporation to actively promote integrated safety management of various hydrogen products and facilities, safety personnel training, safety technology development, and the establishment of safety demonstration infrastructure.

The management system for three core facilities?city gas pipelines, large LNG storage tanks, and industrial gases?will also be advanced. First, a management plan for high-pressure city gas pipelines will be established within the first half of this year to strengthen safety management.

For city gas pipelines installed over 20 years ago, detailed safety inspections will be conducted and, based on the results, facility repairs and maintenance will be carried out.

City gas operators will establish and implement investment plans for pipeline and facility repairs, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy will regularly inspect the operators' facility management and investment plans.

Additionally, the expansion of open inspections currently conducted by the Korea Gas Corporation to large LNG storage tanks of a certain scale (45,000㎘ or more, 86 tanks) will be reviewed.

Regarding industrial gases, in addition to the current nine certified reference materials (CRM) such as ammonia and carbon monoxide, 14 more substances including monosilane (SiH4) and fluorine (F2) will be standardized as gas materials. Certification standards will be developed for products using industrial gases such as containers and pressure regulators, and safety certification will be made mandatory.

Along with this, customized promotions by time and place will be conducted to spread gas safety culture, and a gas safety experience center composed of experiential facilities and content will be established.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "By steadily implementing these measures, we plan to build a more thorough safety management network to create an environment where the public can use gas with peace of mind."

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