Daejeon: The government launched a joint inspection Monday of workplaces handling military explosives, officials said, after the recent deadly blast at a Hanwha Aerospace manufacturing line prompted calls for an industry-wide safety review.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the inspection of 42 workplaces comes after the government vowed to tighten inspections at such high-risk workplaces over safety protocols and practices, following the June 1 blast at the defense company's Daejeon plant that killed five people and injured two others.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said in a release that the inspection will involve checking the safety management related to the manufacturing, storage, and testing of all military explosives handled at the sites.
In particular, they plan to check if any of the explosive materials were handled at unauthorized facilities and will take necessary legal steps if any violations are found, DAPA said.
Based on the inspection, officials will encourage the companies to improve safety measures where necessary and ensure the improvements are fully implemented, the arms agency said.
The blast at the Hanwha Aerospace factory occurred while workers were cleaning explosive material from tools used to make rocket propellant. Hanwha's Daejeon plant produces large propulsion engines and rocket propellants.