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Inspection follows fluorine leak and fire
South Korea’s Labor Ministry said it found 338 violations of workplace safety law during inspections of 27 semiconductor manufacturing sites that handle hazardous chemicals and high-pressure gases.
The inspections, conducted from June 26 to Sept. 18, were intended to prevent fires, explosions and chemical leaks. Officials identified 119 violations at SK Hynix’s Cheongju campus, where a fluorine leak and fire occurred in June. The site accounted for 35.2% of all violations uncovered.
At Cheongju, inspectors found equipment with shutoff valves installed on both sides of safety valves. The configuration could prevent the safety valves from relieving pressure during an emergency, creating an explosion risk. Inspectors also found electrical machinery and equipment without explosion-resistant protection in areas where explosive conditions could develop.
The ministry plans to pursue legal action in 28 cases, impose about 32 million won in administrative fines for 84 violations and order corrections in seven cases involving process safety reports.
Subcontracting approval revoked at Icheon campus
The remaining 26 sites, including SK Hynix’s Icheon campus, accounted for 219 violations. The ministry ordered corrective action in 181 cases and plans to impose about 80 million won in fines for 36 violations at 13 sites.
Other problems included sulfuric acid pipes without end caps, valves lacking labels showing opening and closing directions, and missing gas detectors. Inspectors also cited inadequate protections against falls, electric shocks and workers becoming caught in machinery, as well as missing warning signs for work in confined spaces.
The ministry revoked the Icheon campus’s authorization for certain subcontracted work after finding that required procedures had not been followed. The campus also received 39 correction orders and eight fines totaling 27.7 million won. A separate site was ordered to stop using an industrial lift that had not undergone a required safety inspection.
Government plans industrywide warning
Overall, the ministry said it would take legal action in 28 cases, impose 112 million won in fines for 120 violations and order corrective measures in 188 cases. It also issued one subcontracting authorization revocation and one equipment shutdown order.
Officials plan to share the violations with relevant industry associations so semiconductor facilities that were not inspected can check for similar hazards.
Ryu Hyun-chul, head of the ministry’s occupational safety and health division, said even minor lapses at semiconductor plants can lead to major disasters because the facilities handle hazardous and high-pressure gases. He called the accident at SK Hynix’s Cheongju campus a warning sign.
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