SEOUL – Aricell, a lithium battery plant that recently experienced a fatal fire resulting in 23 deaths, had not undergone any government industrial safety inspections in the past five years, despite the hazardous nature of the materials it was using, according to the South Korean Ministry of Labour and Employment.
Data obtained by Democratic Party lawmaker Park Hae-cheol from the ministry confirms that no government industrial safety inspections or supervision had been conducted at Aricell in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi province, those five years.
Annually, the ministry selects high-risk workplaces, particularly those involving dangerous machinery and hazardous substances, for industrial safety supervision and inspections.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act mandates the Ministry of Employment and Labour to oversee and inspect workplace safety to prevent industrial accidents and protect workers.
High-risk workplaces, especially those…
