Preventing the 2nd Jecheon and Miryang Fires... Establishment of the Electrical Safety Management Act

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[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] Mandatory electrical equipment inspections have been implemented for aging apartments. This new law was enacted to prevent large-scale fire accidents caused by electricity, such as the Jecheon complex shopping mall fire and the Miryang nursing hospital fire.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 8th that the "Electric Safety Management Act" was passed at the National Assembly plenary session on the 6th, and that subordinate regulations such as enforcement ordinances and enforcement rules will be prepared and enforced one year after promulgation.

The Electric Safety Management Act was newly established by separating safety regulations from the existing Electric Utility Act to prevent the recurrence of large fires suspected to have been caused by electricity, such as the Jecheon fire and the Miryang fire.

A new inspection system for individual units in aging multi-family housing such as apartments and row houses has been introduced to conduct regular safety inspections and facility renovations.

Emergency response support will be expanded to enable prevention of electrical disasters and safe use of electricity during emergencies such as nighttime or power outages.

Measures to enhance the expertise of safety workers have also been prepared.

This includes establishing registration requirements for consignment companies performing safety tasks, recommending facility improvement measures by safety managers, introducing regulations prohibiting unfair treatment, and announcing standards for calculating fees for delegated safety tasks.

An emergency order system has also been introduced to allow urgent measures such as demolition or relocation of electrical equipment deemed hazardous after emergency inspections.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy stated, "We plan to prepare all necessary matters for the enforcement of the Electric Safety Management Act, including promoting pilot projects for inspections of individual units in aging multi-family housing, to ensure that no inconvenience occurs in citizens' lives due to the safety system improvements."

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