Date: August 8, 2018
Location: Pocheon, Gyeonggi-do (South Korea)
Address: 80, Singpyeong-ro 16beon-gil, Sinbuk-myeon
Type: Dust Explosion
Fuel: Coal Dust
Industry: Power (Natural Resources)
Equipment: Conveyor Belt
Company: GS CHP
Database Incidents: None Recorded
Loss: One Dead, Four Injured
Capital Cost: Unknown
Status: Open
Confirmation: Unconfirmed
Company Description:
According to the company website, GS CHP is a subsidiary company of GS E&R Corp., which provides South Korea with electricity and heat, oil distribution, renewable energy, and coal power services. It was established in 2014, runs on bituminous coal, and generates 550 tons of steam per hour and 169.9 megawatts of electricity. The plant specializes in providing combined heat and power for industrial complexes.
Incident Description:
On August 9, 2018, the industry news site HazardEx reported a dust explosion at a coal-fired power plant in Pocheon, South Korea. Local news sources stated that the blast occurred during a test run at the newly-constructed facility. When a basement conveyor belt carrying coal to the furnace suddenly exploded, a 45-year-old worker was killed and four others suffered from burns that required medical treatment. One of these men received first degree burns on his body.
The cause of the incident is still under investigation, but the police and fire department agreed that an electric spark may have ignited the combustible coal dust around the conveyor belt. The Pocheon Fire Station chief told reporters, “It looks like the spark-proof switch on the machine malfunctioned while the workers were conducting maintenance operations on the conveyor belt’s speed sensor.”
After the explosion, the Gyeonggi Governor ordered an immediate halt to all plant operations until safety concerns are fully addressed.
Sources:
HazardEx
