Preventing the "Second Lee Seon-ho"... Safety Inspections at 1,175 Locations Including Ports Nationwide Over Three Months

Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Conduct '2021 Marine and Fisheries Safety Inspection' Until November
Focused Inspection on 1,175 Sites Including Ports, Fishing Harbor Facilities, and Hazardous Material Handling Facilities

Pyeongtaek Port New Container Terminal, Pyeongtaek-si, Gyeonggi Province. (Image source=Yonhap News)

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chaeseok] To prevent fatal accidents among port workers, such as the death of the late Lee Seonho in the Pyeongtaek Port container accident, the government will conduct a three-month nationwide safety inspection of key facilities in the marine and fisheries sector, including port facilities.

The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries announced on the 22nd that from the 23rd until November 12, during the "National Safety Diagnosis" period, it plans to conduct focused inspections on 1,175 locations including port and fishing harbor facilities, hazardous material handling facilities, and passenger ship terminals. The National Safety Diagnosis is a government-wide safety inspection program implemented since 2015, involving central government agencies, local governments, experts, and the public. This year’s diagnosis was initially scheduled to start at the end of February but was postponed due to COVID-19.

First, a full inspection will be conducted on passenger terminals, fishing village experience and recreation villages, and hazardous material handling facilities. For port and fishing harbor facilities, inspections will focus on vulnerable facilities. Private experts, related organizations, and local governments will participate together in the inspection process. Additionally, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries will conduct customized inspections targeting vulnerable points for each facility subject to inspection. For passenger terminals, port and fishing harbor facilities, and exhibition facilities, inspections will check for cracks, subsidence conditions, and the operation status of fire and safety equipment.

Lighthouse marine cultural spaces will be inspected with a focus on fire safety equipment, while rural guesthouses and fishing village experience and recreation villages will have their safety management systems and fire safety management closely examined. For hazardous material handling facilities, the inspection will review facility management according to safety management plans and whether worker education and training have been implemented. Coastal passenger ships will be checked for the proper provision of safety and lifesaving equipment, and fishing boats and fish farms will be inspected for the availability and operation of safety equipment and compliance with safety rules.

This year as well, the safety inspection real-name system will be implemented and inspection results will be disclosed. Defects that can be immediately corrected during the inspection process will be addressed and re-inspected. Urgent repairs, reinforcements, and detailed diagnostics requiring follow-up measures will be reflected in the relevant budget for improvement.

Myung Noheon, Director of the Maritime Safety Bureau at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, said, "We will thoroughly follow COVID-19 prevention guidelines while conducting meticulous on-site inspections," and added, "Through this diagnosis, we will continuously identify and eliminate risk factors so that the public can safely use marine and fisheries facilities."

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