Gyeonggi-do Nighttime Operating Gas Stations 'Safety Management' Vulnerabilities

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] One out of four gas stations operating at night in Gyeonggi Province was found to be vulnerable to fires and other hazards. In particular, self-service gas stations were found to have serious problems in fire safety management.

The Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters announced on the 4th that, as a result of an unannounced nighttime safety inspection for fire prevention during winter conducted from December 23 last year to January 23 this year on gas stations operating 24 hours in the province, out of 453 gas stations, 105 (23.2%) were found to have violated regulations. Measures taken included 13 criminal charges, 15 fines, 142 correction orders, and 16 on-site corrections.

This inspection was conducted without prior notice during the vulnerable hours from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day.

During the inspection period, the Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters focused on checking ▲whether hazardous materials safety managers (or their deputies) were present ▲whether regular inspections were conducted ▲handling of fire sources (such as heaters) in the gas station attendants' waiting rooms ▲compliance with hazardous materials storage and handling standards.

A Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters official explained, "The inspection revealed various legal violations such as unauthorized container installations and damage (removal) of gas station firewalls. In particular, among the total 28 cases of criminal charges and fines, 71% (20 cases) were from self-service gas stations, indicating that nighttime safety management at self-service gas stations is especially vulnerable."

Last year, there were two fire (explosion) incidents at gas stations in the province, resulting in one minor injury and property damage amounting to approximately 14 million KRW.

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