With 14 people dead and 60 injured in the Daejeon Safety Industry fire disaster, authorities found that most of the seven fires at the plant over the past 15 years were caused by dust and oil residue.
According to the Daejeon Fire Headquarters on the 24th, a total of seven fires occurred at Safety Industry from 2009 to 2023. Of these, six were found to have started when high heat or sparks generated during work processes ignited grease and dust inside collectors and ducts.
In Jan. 2009, a fire broke out due to oil residue inside a ceiling duct and the high heat generated by a forging machine. In Apr. 2012, dust inside a collection pipe ignited from sparks produced during forging work, causing a fire.
In Jan. 2017 and Jul. 2019, fires were found to have occurred when frictional heat ignited dust inside the collectors.
In May 2023, sparks fell onto sludge during collector duct cleaning, igniting a fire, and in Jun. of the same year, sparks from a laser welder traveled through a collector, causing another fire.
However, one fire in Sep. 2020 was suspected to have been caused by a cigarette butt.
Given its work processes and company size, Safety Industry is required to undergo two types of in-house inspections: comprehensive inspections and operational inspections. Safety Industry reports the results of its in-house inspections to fire authorities, and the system requires the company to correct defects on its own and then obtain confirmation.
But among Safety Industry's 32 in-house inspection items, there was no content addressing environmental improvements related to oil residue and vapors from cutting fluids, or the need to improve ventilators or dust collection facilities. Dozens of issues were also pointed out each year through in-house inspections.
In last year's comprehensive inspection, 22 locations were found to be defective, including one fire extinguishing facility, 14 alarm facilities, and seven evacuation and rescue facilities. In the operational inspection, 22 locations were flagged, including three fire extinguishing facilities, 17 alarm facilities, and two evacuation and rescue facilities.
Most citations for fire extinguishing facilities involved insufficient pressure in the pump room that supplies water to indoor fire hydrants. There were also issues such as a dropped and faulty rate-of-rise heat detector on the first floor and poor lighting status of corridor guide lights. Many machining lines on the first floor of the plant had defective smoke detectors for fire response and were flagged for replacement.
The fire that broke out at Safety Industry, an auto parts company in Munpyeong-dong, Daedeok District, Daejeon, at about 1:17 p.m. on the 20th was extinguished after 10 hours and 30 minutes.
The fire killed 14 employees and left 60 others seriously or moderately injured.