韩华城电池厂火灾事故调查结果出炉：企业用替换试料蒙混质检，超负荷生产酿惨剧
韩联社华城8月23日电 据韩国相关部门对酿成23人身亡的京畿道华城市一次电池制造商ARICELL火灾事故进行调查的结果，ARICELL自2021年开始向军方供货以来，就一直用替换试料的伎俩蒙混质检，并存在超负荷生产、安全培训缺失等严重问题，最终导致火灾事故发生。
调查结果显示，ARICELL为了获得军方订单，从2021年12月至今年2月，一直用伪造数据欺骗国防技术品质院，向军方提供47亿韩元（约合人民币2506万元）的劣质电池。今年4月，ARICELL产品首次被判定为不合格，其替换试料的骗局才被揭穿。
为了赶进度，ARICELL在今年5月左右设定“日产量5000块电池”的目标，启动超负荷生产流程，是其平均日产量的两倍。为了满足生产需求，ARICELL从人力派遣公司雇佣了53名工人，但这些工人没有经过充分培训便被投入主要制造工序，导致产品不良率大幅提升。
更令人震惊的是，在火灾事故发生两天前的6月22日，一块电池在经过电解液注入作业后爆炸发生火灾，但厂方未叫停生产，也未采取特别的措施。最终，在6月24日，事发现场发生大火，导致23人丧生。
调查还发现，ARICELL的紧急逃离出口等安全疏散工作也整体不到位，聘用员工和需要变更作业内容时应当进行的事故应急培训也没有实施。工人们不清楚在电池爆炸后应随即疏散的安全方针，错过了最初爆炸发生后的“37秒黄金时间”，最终酿成惨剧。
京畿南部警察厅设立的ARICELL火灾事故调查本部和雇佣劳动部京畿支厅23日上午10时30分在华城西部警察署公布上述联合调查结果，并针对ARICELL的母公司S-Connect代表朴淳瓘和其子等4名负责人以涉嫌违反《产业安全保健法》、业务过失致死伤等为由预先申请逮捕令。朴淳瓘还被控违反《重大灾害处罚法》。
此次事故再次暴露了韩国企业在安全生产方面的漏洞，也引发了社会对企业责任和政府监管的反思。韩国政府已承诺将加强对企业的安全监管，并制定更严格的安全标准，以防止类似事故再次发生。
英语如下：
ARICELL Battery Plant Fire: Military Supply Fraud and Negligence Led toTragedy
Keywords: Battery plant fire, substitute samples, military supply
Hwasung, Gyeonggi-do, August 23 (Yonhap) – An investigation into the ARICELL battery plant fire in Hwasung, Gyeonggi-do, which killed 23 people, has revealed that the company used substitute samples to deceive quality inspections and engaged in excessive production, leading to the tragic incident.
The investigation found that ARICELL, a primary battery manufacturer, had been supplying the military with substandard batteries since December 2021, using falsified data to deceive the Defense Acquisition Program Administration(DAPA). The company provided 4.7 billion won (approximately 25.06 million yuan) worth of inferior batteries to the military, using substitute samples to pass quality inspections. The fraud was only exposed in April thisyear when ARICELL’s products were first deemed substandard.
To meet production deadlines, ARICELL set a daily production target of 5,000 batteries in May, doubling its average daily output. To meet this demand, the company hired 53 workers from temp agencies, who were put intokey manufacturing processes without adequate training, resulting in a significant increase in product defects.
Shockingly, on June 22, two days before the fire, a battery exploded during the electrolyte injection process, causing a fire. However, the company did not halt production or take any special measures. Ultimately, a majorfire broke out on June 24, claiming the lives of 23 people.
The investigation also revealed that ARICELL’s emergency exits and evacuation procedures were inadequate, and the company failed to conduct emergency training for employees, despite the need for changes in work procedures. Workers were unaware of the safety protocolsfor evacuating after a battery explosion, missing the “37-second golden time” following the initial explosion, ultimately leading to the tragedy.
The ARICELL Fire Accident Investigation Headquarters, established by the Gyeonggi Southern Provincial Police Agency, and the Gyeonggi Branch of the Ministry of Employment and Labor jointlyannounced the investigation results on August 23. They have applied for pre-arrest warrants for four executives, including Park Sun-gwan, CEO of S-Connect, ARICELL’s parent company, and his son, on charges of violating the Industrial Safety and Health Act, negligent homicide, and other offenses. Park Sun-gwan is also facing charges under the Serious Disaster Punishment Act.
This incident has once again exposed the vulnerabilities in South Korean companies’ safety practices and sparked reflection on corporate responsibility and government oversight. The South Korean government has pledged to strengthen safety regulations for businesses and implement stricter safety standards to prevent similar incidentsfrom happening again.
【来源】https://cn.yna.co.kr/view/ACK20240823004000881?section=society/index&input=rss
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