Gas Safety Corporation, Reestablishes Gas Accident Classification Standards

Reestablishment of Accident Classification Criteria Including Level 1-3 Accidents and Portable Butane Combustion Device Incidents
50 Gas Accidents in First Half of 2020...3 Fewer Than Last Year
Compliance with Gas Safety Rules in Daily Life, Including Ban on Stacking Portable Gas Stoves

Source=Korea Gas Safety Corporation

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] The Korea Gas Safety Corporation announced on the 20th that it has introduced a new accident classification standard this year. The corporation is a quasi-governmental organization responsible for investigating and analyzing the causes of gas accidents and disseminating accident cases in accordance with the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act.

Accidents involving portable butane burners have been separated from LP gas accidents, and simple gas leaks and similar incidents are actively identified for accident report reception.

Accidents subject to other laws outside the three gas-related laws (City Gas Business Act, Safety Management and Business Act of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act), such as intentional accidents and traffic accidents, are classified as "other accidents" to ensure statistical reliability.

Applying the new classification standard, 50 gas accidents occurred in the first half of this year, a decrease of 3 cases compared to 53 in the first half of last year.

By gas type, there were 23 cases involving liquefied petroleum gas, 10 cases involving city gas, 5 cases involving high-pressure gas, and 12 cases involving butane burners.

Liquefied petroleum gas accidents decreased by 6 cases compared to the same period last year, but accidents related to butane burners increased by 4 cases.

The main causes of accidents were facility deficiencies with 13 cases (26%), user handling negligence with 12 cases (24%), product aging (defects) with 7 cases (14%), and others with 15 cases (30%). By type, there were 20 explosions (40%), 14 fires (28%), and 7 leaks (14%).

Looking at the number of accidents by usage location, houses and food service establishments accounted for 16 and 13 cases respectively, making up 58% of the total.

Since accidents mainly occur in houses and food service establishments closely related to daily life, it is required to regularly check for gas leaks, seal off combustion devices after removal, and practice the correct usage methods of portable butane burners.

Looking at the trend of accident occurrences in the first half of the last five years, the number increased from 39 cases in 2016 to 50 cases in 2020, with an average annual growth rate of 6.4%.

Source=Korea Gas Safety Corporation

In particular, among the five major gas accidents?lack of sealing measures, butane burners, gas boilers, toxic gases, and drilling work?accidents related to butane burners increased by 50% (from 8 cases to 12 cases).

Examining butane canister rupture accidents involving butane burners, they mainly occurred in food service establishments and houses.

Recently, there was a case where a lower burner whose flame had not gone out during multi-layered storage after use heated the butane burner placed above it, causing an accident.

There was also a case where a butane canister rupture accident occurred due to misuse of an electric stove while using a portable butane burner placed on top of the electric stove.

Accidents involving gas boilers and lack of sealing measures decreased by 75% (from 4 cases to 1 case) and 50% (from 8 cases to 4 cases), respectively.

An official from the corporation said, "Butane canisters should be stored in a cool place because storing them near fire sources can cause rupture due to radiant heat," and added, "Heating butane canisters to use residual gas can also cause rupture, so heating should be strictly avoided."

The corporation has been publishing an annual Gas Accident Yearbook to provide accurate information for accident prevention as a specialized gas safety management institution.

Exterior view of the Korea Gas Safety Corporation headquarters. (Photo by Korea Gas Safety Corporation)

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