24 Hand Sanitizer and Cosmetics Manufacturers Caught Illegally Handling Hazardous Materials

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hoon] Hand sanitizer manufacturers that were illegally storing and handling fire-prone hazardous materials such as alcohols without authorization have been repeatedly caught by fire authorities.

The Gyeonggi Province Fire Department conducted an illegal hazardous materials crackdown against 413 cosmetics manufacturing-related companies from January 20 to April 2, identifying 24 businesses that illegally stored and handled hazardous materials, including storing unauthorized hazardous substances without permits, the department announced on the 20th.

The province's fire department plans to bring criminal charges against 21 of these cases and impose fines on 6 cases.

A cosmetics manufacturer in the province installed manufacturing facilities handling alcohol (isopropanol) without authorization and was caught after handling 2,182 liters over five days.

The Gyeonggi Province Fire Department filed charges against the company on suspicion of installing an unauthorized hazardous materials manufacturing facility and manufacturing without permits.

Another cosmetics manufacturer, Company B, illegally stored 1,875 liters of Class 4 Group 1 petroleum products (gasoline, paint thinner, etc.) in a dry room within the factory without authorization and was caught after storing hazardous materials other than permitted items in a general handling site and indoor storage facility.

Ethanol, the main hazardous alcohol regulated in this crackdown, is a hazardous substance with a flash point of 78.5 degrees Celsius that requires particular caution in handling.
The Hazardous Materials Safety Control Act requires prior authorization from relevant agencies when storing or handling 400 liters or more of designated quantities, and violations are subject to imprisonment of no more than three years or fines of no more than 30 million won.

This crackdown was jointly conducted by 26 teams of 56 firefighting personnel from the headquarters and fire departments throughout the province to proactively block reckless hazardous materials handling practices that could occur at related manufacturing companies as demand for hand sanitizers continued amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Previously, on November 20 last year, an explosion occurred at a cosmetics manufacturing plant in Incheon, resulting in 3 deaths and 9 injuries.

The plant was found to have stored and handled hazardous materials at 4.8 times the maximum permitted level, clearly demonstrating how important it is for hazardous materials handling companies to comply with appropriate locations and authorized handling capacities.

Lee Sang-gyu, head of the Gyeonggi Province Fire Department, stated, "Illegal handling of hazardous materials and safety violations by hand sanitizer and cosmetics manufacturers could lead to large-scale accidents," and added, "Going forward, we will thoroughly crack down on illegal and unfair acts that threaten the safety of residents in accordance with a zero-tolerance policy."