Mandatory Installation of Firefighting Facilities in All Commercial Power and Communication Ducts

Applied only to over 500m → Expanded to all targets

On November 25, 2018, officials are carrying out restoration work at the KT Ahyeon branch fire site in Chungjeong-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul. Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Jo In-kyung] The National Fire Agency announced that the amendment to the "Fire Prevention, Installation, Maintenance, and Safety Management of Fire Facilities Act (Fire Facilities Act)" and its subordinate laws, which mandates the installation of fire facilities in all commercial power and communication tunnels, will take effect from the 10th.

Previously, when retrofitting fire facilities in underground tunnels, only joint tunnels were subject to this requirement, but from now on, fire facilities must be installed in both power tunnels and communication tunnels. Additionally, the obligation to install fire facilities applied only to underground tunnels for power or communication businesses that were 500 meters or longer, but with this amendment, fire facilities must be installed in all underground tunnels for power or communication businesses regardless of length.

During the KT Ahyeon branch fire in Seoul in November 2018, the related communication tunnel was 112 meters long and thus was not included as an underground tunnel, exempting it from the mandatory installation of fire facilities.

The amendment requires the installation of fire facilities such as fire extinguishers and emergency exit lights in underground tunnels where there was previously no obligation to install such facilities.

Furthermore, newly constructed underground tunnels must immediately comply with the strengthened fire facility standards, and existing underground tunnels have been granted a grace period until December 10, 2022, to install the facilities in accordance with the amended Fire Facilities Act.

Choi Byung-il, Director of Fire Policy Bureau at the National Fire Agency, stated, "Because fires in underground tunnels cause massive indirect damage such as communication outages, we have strengthened the regulations," adding, "We plan to revise the fire safety standards for underground tunnels within this year to enhance early fire suppression and prevent fire spread."

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