'Self-Service Gas Stations Without Hazardous Materials Safety Managers, Unauthorized Installation of Temporary Structures'... Gyeonggi-do Fire Department Catches 270 Locations

A firefighter belonging to the Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters is conducting a fire inspection at a gas station. Photo by Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The Gyeonggi-do Fire and Disaster Headquarters has uncovered a large number of gas stations in Gyeonggi-do that violated related laws, including unauthorized installation of temporary structures.

The Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters announced on the 30th that since July, it conducted fire inspections on 3,100 gas stations in the province (2,028 full-service and 1,072 self-service) and found 270 stations (8.7%) violating related laws.

Among the major violations, at A Self-Service Gas Station, an unannounced inspection in September revealed that the 'Hazardous Materials Safety Manager' was absent and no proxy was designated.

The Gyeonggi Fire Headquarters filed charges against the gas station for violating the Hazardous Materials Safety Control Act. According to the law, gas stations must have a hazardous materials safety manager with certain qualifications on site, and if absent, a proxy must be designated to be present.

Gas Station B was caught installing and using auxiliary facilities on the gas station premises without permission. Similarly, the provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters filed charges for violation of change permit regulations.

Additionally, gas stations that failed to report changes in designated hazardous material quantities and names, or failed to keep regular inspection records, will be fined.

Furthermore, administrative orders were issued to gas stations with cracked firewalls or aged signs and bulletin boards.

Notably, the violation rate at self-service gas stations is higher than that of full-service gas stations, reflecting the recent increase in self-service stations.

Among the 2,028 full-service stations inspected, 85 were found deficient, a defect rate of 4.2%, whereas among the 1,072 self-service stations inspected, 185 were deficient, resulting in a defect rate of 17.3%.

Cho Sun-ho, head of the provincial Fire and Disaster Headquarters, stated, "With the preference for operating self-service gas stations and the impact of workforce reduction, cases of negligence such as not assigning safety managers have been found during inspections. We plan to continue conducting such fire inspections to ensure gas station safety management."

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