Oh Byung-kwon Acting Authority "Need to Check if Fire Safety Standards for Logistics Warehouses Are Appropriate"

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Oh Byeong-kwon, Acting Governor of Gyeonggi Province, emphasized the need for measures to address the recurring fires at logistics centers and the resulting casualties among firefighters, urging the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters to establish appropriate firefighting standards.

On the afternoon of the 11th, Acting Governor Oh held an urgent meeting at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Suwon as a follow-up to the fire at the Pyeongtaek refrigerated logistics warehouse construction site and the firefighter fatality incident. He opened the meeting by saying, "Despite many safety management efforts made so far, I am deeply saddened as the head of the provincial government by the sacrifice of firefighters occurring once again."

He continued, "Gyeonggi Province houses 34% of the nation's logistics center companies and over 50% based on warehouse floor area. However, safety awareness at the sites remains insufficient, and the use of fire-vulnerable building materials exposes these sites to constant fire risks," he pointed out.

Therefore, he urged, "The Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters should analyze the causes of this fire, establish firefighting standards tailored to the characteristics of logistics centers, and strive to enhance compliance at the sites. Departments responsible for safety should also meticulously review accident prevention and response readiness, and carefully inspect whether there are any needs regarding budgets, equipment, or other resources at the sites."

Acting Governor Oh plans to visit logistics warehouse construction sites within the province on the 14th with experts in firefighting and construction to inspect compliance with fire safety rules and preventive measures against construction accidents, as well as to listen to the opinions of on-site personnel.

The province will conduct a joint special firefighting inspection with related agencies on 1,022 large construction sites with a total floor area of 5,000㎡ or more by next month. Additionally, by March, it will develop a safety innovation plan centered on workers for construction sites and carry out special inspections to prevent fires and safety accidents at construction sites during the first quarter.

Meanwhile, the meeting was attended by heads and officials of relevant departments including the Gyeonggi Provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters, Safety Management Office, Urban Housing Office, Environment Bureau, Construction Bureau, and Labor Bureau, which oversee firefighting safety, construction safety, and hazardous materials management.

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