Consolidating Scattered Risk Information…Creating 'Gyeonggi Province-Style Safety Management Model'

Gyeonggi Province will prepare comprehensive measures addressing firefighters' working conditions and on-site safety by December 10. In particular, the province has decided to establish a 'Gyeonggi Province-Style Hazardous Materials Safety Management Service Model' that shares and coordinates hazardous information currently dispersed among different institutions.

Ha Jong-mok, First Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province, held a press conference at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office on the 5th and announced the future plans of the 'Task Force for Comprehensive Measures on Securing On-Site Safety, Improving Firefighters' Working Conditions, and Enhancing Treatment.'

First Vice Governor Ha Jong-mok stated, "This measure is not intended to be a one-time improvement, but rather aims to establish a sustainable safety management system that encompasses the entire process from fire prevention to on-site response and improvement of firefighters' treatment."

According to the discussion results, the task force has set the preparation of implementable safety management measures at actual sites in 31 cities and counties as the core direction. To this end, the province plans to clarify the roles and authorities of related institutions in hazardous materials management, and establish a 'Gyeonggi Province-Style Hazardous Materials Safety Management Service Model' in which hazardous information dispersed among institutions is shared and organically coordinated and operated.

Gyeonggi Province is thoroughly investigating fire causes and improving on-site response systems. The investigation into the cause of the firefighter fatality is being conducted by the National Fire Agency's Joint Investigation Team, while the fire cause investigation is being conducted jointly by the fire department and police.

From October 27 to 29, the province conducted emergency special inspections at 842 business establishments in seven regions across the province, identifying violations at 248 establishments and taking corrective measures. Based on these inspection results, the province is identifying tasks to eliminate blind spots in safety management.

The province is inspecting fire equipment and protective gear status and deterioration, firefighting personnel operations and working conditions, health management, and overall safety and treatment of on-site personnel. In particular, the province is sufficiently collecting opinions from on-site personnel and firefighter unions to identify practical treatment improvement tasks ranging from immediately implementable items to mid-to-long-term improvement tasks.

The Legal and Institutional Innovation Division is identifying core tasks for improving laws, regulations, and manuals related to on-site fire safety, and for improving firefighting personnel operations and work systems.
Based on measures identified by each division, Gyeonggi Province plans to concretize the measures by reflecting opinions from related provincial departments and central government agencies including the National Fire Agency.

Governor Choo Mi-ae ordered a thorough investigation of accident causes and preparation of comprehensive measures to secure on-site safety for firefighters following a firefighter fatality in a factory fire in Bucheon on the 16th of last month.