Gyeonggi Special Judicial Police Crack Down on Illegal Activities at 360 Hazardous Chemical Handling Companies
[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Gyeonggi Province is cracking down on illegal activities at hazardous chemical handling businesses.
The Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare announced on the 17th that, to prevent chemical accidents, it will conduct an intensive investigation from the 28th of this month to the 8th of next month into illegal activities such as unlicensed operations at hazardous chemical handling businesses permitted within the province.
The investigation targets 360 permitted hazardous chemical handling businesses in the province.
The investigation will cover ▲ unlicensed hazardous chemical handling operations ▲ violations of hazardous chemical handling standards ▲ violations of accident preparedness substance management standards ▲ failure to wear personal protective equipment ▲ failure to mark hazardous chemical storage locations and containers ▲ failure to conduct self-inspections ▲ failure to obtain change permits, among others.
According to the Chemical Substances Control Act, those who operate hazardous chemical handling businesses without a permit or violate accident preparedness substance management standards face up to 5 years imprisonment or fines up to 100 million KRW; violations of hazardous chemical handling standards carry up to 3 years imprisonment or fines up to 50 million KRW; and failure to obtain change permits results in up to 1 year imprisonment or fines up to 30 million KRW.
Chemical accidents in the province have steadily increased over the past five years: 19 cases in 2017, 16 in 2018, 17 in 2019, 19 in 2020, and 26 in 2021.
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Kim Min-kyung, head of the Gyeonggi Province Special Judicial Police for Public Welfare, emphasized, "To prevent chemical accidents that are directly related to life, careful attention from handlers is necessary," adding, "We will strive to create a safe Gyeonggi Province by raising awareness among hazardous chemical handlers and preemptively blocking risk factors that cause chemical accidents."
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