Seogwipo Coast Guard Conducts Joint Inspection to Prevent Fishing Vessel Fire Accidents

Published 23 Mar.2022 17:17(KST)

[Jeju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Hwang Jeongpil] Seogwipo Coast Guard Station (Chief Kim Jin-young) announced on the 23rd that it conducted a joint inspection and publicity campaign with related organizations at Seongsan Port, Seongsan-eup, Seogwipo City as part of proactive safety management activities to prevent fishing vessel fire accidents.

In the past three years, a total of 12 ship fire accidents have occurred within Seogwipo jurisdiction. The causes of the accidents were negligence in 8 cases, poor maintenance in 3 cases, and unknown causes in 1 case, occurring evenly without specific seasonal bias.

To prevent fishing vessel fire accidents, Seogwipo Coast Guard plans to carry out inspections and publicity campaigns in cooperation with related organizations such as Seogwipo City Hall, Korea Maritime Safety Authority (KOMSA), and the Fisheries Cooperative Federation, over four rounds (March, June, September, December).

On this day, the first inspection was conducted targeting fishing vessels moored at Seongsan Port.

The main inspection items included checking for engine room leaks, LPG gas cylinders, ventilation and protective covers for batteries, condition of distribution panels, life jackets, and the presence and condition of automatic unmanned fire extinguishers in the engine room.

The Seogwipo Coast Guard provided fishermen with guidance on initial response and countermeasures in case of fire and distributed items such as throwable fire extinguishers, fireballs, and fishing vessel schematic diagrams that can be used in emergencies.

A Seogwipo Coast Guard official said, “We hope this inspection lays the foundation to prevent ship fire accidents in advance,” and added, “We will continue thorough inspections and publicity efforts to ensure that not a single accident occurs.”