Hanwha Aerospace Cited for 568 Safety Violations After Two Prior Accidents

Hanwha Aerospace's Daejeon facility, the site of a fatal explosion on June 1 that caused multiple casualties, had a history of significant safety violations. Special inspections conducted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor in 2018 and 2019 uncovered a total of 568 breaches of the Industrial Safety and Health Act (ISHA).

In 2018, following an explosion during rocket fuel charging that killed three workers and injured six others, an inspection found 486 violations. The inspection report noted deficiencies in the overall safety and health management system, with the environmental safety team being understaffed relative to the number of employees. The facility also lacked proper safety data sheets for hazardous chemicals and failed to provide required training.

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The overall safety and health management system of the plant was insufficient.

Just eight months later, in February 2019, another explosion occurred, resulting in three deaths. A subsequent inspection identified 82 ISHA violations. This inspection again pointed to structural weaknesses in safety management, including inadequate safety checks for pressurized vessels, poor lighting in work areas, and insufficient management of chemicals in confined spaces.

These findings indicate a pattern of systemic safety failures at the Hanwha Aerospace Daejeon plant. Despite repeated warnings and substantial fines totaling over 387 million won (approximately $300,000 USD) for 350 violations across the two years, the company apparently did not implement sufficient corrective actions. The recent June 1 explosion, the third major incident at the facility, underscores the persistent and critical nature of these safety management issues.

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Structural safety and health management was still insufficient.