Mandatory Installation of Butane Can Burst Prevention Function Starting in 2023

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] Starting from 2023, the installation of rupture prevention features on butane cans will be mandatory.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 4th that it plans to revise the 'Enforcement Rules of the High-Pressure Gas Safety Control Act' in the second half of the year to mandate that all butane cans be equipped with rupture prevention features.

Butane cans can rupture when the internal gas pressure rises due to container heating. The rupture prevention feature creates a gap in the container before the rupture pressure is reached to release gas and lower the internal pressure. Among 97 butane can accidents in the past five years, 78 cases (80%) were caused by rupture, and it was analyzed that 75 out of 100 butane can-related accidents could have been prevented through rupture prevention features.

An official from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, "Butane cans are closely related to daily life, with an average use of four cans per person annually," adding, "Mandating rupture prevention features can prevent a significant number of butane can accidents and also prevent injuries caused by fragments."

The ministry will also improve the labeling on butane cans. To make it easier for consumers to recognize the container's precautions, the size of the warning pictogram will be enlarged from 1/35 to 1/8 of the container's surface area. Additionally, it will be mandatory to clearly indicate whether the can has a rupture prevention feature or not. Although some butane cans with rupture prevention features are currently manufactured and sold, there has been no explicit labeling, making it difficult for consumers to know.

The labeling improvements will take effect from the 5th, and for six months, the existing labels can be used concurrently.

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