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The main gate was under restricted access following an explosion at Hanwha Aerospace’s Daejeon facility in Oesam-dong, Yuseong District, on the morning of June 1. (Photo courtesy of Yonhap News) |
[Alpha Biz= Paul Lee] A previously undisclosed explosion at Hanwha Aerospace’s Daejeon facility has come to light, adding to growing concerns over the company’s industrial safety record.
According to KBS on June 9, a total of three major industrial accidents at the Daejeon plant had been publicly known until now — in 2018, 2019, and most recently on June 1 this year.
However, records show that an additional explosion occurred on September 1, 2016, which had not been previously disclosed. Data released by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, covering workplace accidents from 2011 through last year, confirmed the incident.
The 2016 explosion reportedly occurred during an experiment involving the synthesis of copper oxide powder, used as an oxidizing agent, and aluminum powder, a combustible material. One worker sustained serious injuries in the accident.
Despite the severity of the incident, it was not publicly reported at the time. No dispatch record related to the accident was found in the daily fire service logs compiled on the day of the incident.
Hanwha Aerospace acknowledged that the explosion took place during an experiment in 2016.
Following the 2016 incident, the plant’s hazardous chemical safety management rating was downgraded from “adequate” to “insufficient.” Subsequent explosions in 2018 and 2019 further deteriorated the rating to the lowest level, classified as “poor.”
Alphabiz Reporter Paul Lee(hoondork1977@alphabiz.co.kr)
