The Ministry of Employment and Labor (MOEL) said on the 26th it will launch intensive inspections of 25 semiconductor manufacturing business sites, including SK hynix, after a series of recent fluorine leaks.
Earlier, on the 1st, a fire broke out in the gas room on the sixth floor of the Cheongju 4 Campus plant of SK hynix, causing a fluorine leak that sent 11 employees to hospitals. On the 12th, a fire also broke out in a gas room in the same building during work mixing fluorine and nitrogen.
In response, the ministry decided to conduct preemptive inspections of 25 semiconductor manufacturers where serious injuries have repeatedly occurred, including SK hynix, or that the ministry has designated as ultra-high-risk business sites. The goal is to correct risk factors and prevent similar accidents.
The inspections will focus on measures for handling dangerous materials such as flammable liquids and gases and acutely toxic substances, and on steps to prevent hazardous material leaks and fires or explosions. They will also review core safety rules to prevent major accidents such as entanglement and falls, and plan to take action on violations under relevant regulations.
Based on the results, the ministry plans to order business sites with a high risk of major industrial accidents to establish and implement safety and health plans.
Minister Kim Young-hoon said, "A single accident in semiconductor operations that handle hazardous, dangerous chemicals and high-pressure gases can lead to major casualties," adding, "We will focus on inspecting risk factors to do our utmost to prevent industrial accidents and major industrial accidents."