Errors found in state guidelines on water-reactive chemicals

Information regarding how to extinguish fires involving water-reactive chemicals was found to be either incorrect or missing in the information guide of the National Institute of Chemical Safety, a government institution under the Ministry of Environment, according to local media reports.

Controversy surrounding the institution’s information guide was raised following a fire that engulfed a lithium battery manufacturing factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province, Monday. Fire officials had trouble dealing with the fire at the time as lithium has the potential to exacerbate the situation if it meets with water.

Since the controversy arose, the National Institute of Chemical Safety has also come under fire for its “Key Information Guide on Substances Requiring Preparation for Accidents,” which incorrectly suggested that water could be used for five other water-reactive chemicals: ethylene oxide, sodium cyanide, toluene diisocyanate, trimethylamine and acryloyl chloride.

The guide offers hazardous chemical handlers and safety officials information on the dangers of these chemicals labeled as “substances requiring preparation for accidents,” along with tips for preventing leaks and extinguishing fires of such substances.

For example, while sodium cyanide produces a highly toxic, flammable gas called hydrogen cyanide when it reacts with water, the guide states that it “does not react with water” and that water can be used to extinguish fires from the chemical. For ethylene oxide, the guide contradicts itself, as it states that a fire “may ignite when in contact with water or moist air,” but that water is also its fire-extinguishing agent.

Lithium was not listed in this guide, as it has never been labeled as a particular substance by the environment minister under the Chemical Substances Control Act. As of this year, 97 chemicals are classified as substances requiring accident preparedness for their high likelihood of causing chemical accidents or significant damage due to their toxicity or explosive nature.

The institute stated Thursday that it plans to correct the information on the five water-reactive chemicals and how fires from or near the chemicals should be extinguished by conducting tests to derive the chemicals’ rate of reaction with water and the level of heat generated during the reaction.

Though lithium can explode and become a fire hazard when it comes in contact with water or water vapor in the air, it is classified as a general chemical substance in Korea as it is unlikely to catch on fire on its own unless it is intentionally disassembled and placed in water or fire. While hazardous chemicals are managed by the Environment Ministry to prevent human and environmental damage, general chemicals are handled by fire authorities without any specific safety standards.

As Korea is one of the largest battery producers worldwide for electric vehicles, experts urged that the safety management of lithium batteries be strengthened to prevent such a recurrence.

"While it is important for industries that deal with chemicals like lithium to improve its technologies to prevent fires, the government should also work to come up with measures and standards to minimize the damage," professor Kong Ha-sung from Woosuk University's department of fire protection and disaster prevention told The Korea Herald.

Meanwhile, the Environment Ministry announced Thursday that it had begun disposing of 1,200 liters of electrolytes presumed to contain thionyl chloride at the battery plant in Hwaseong. Thionyl chloride, which is classified among "hazardous chemicals" under the Chemical Substances Control Act, is known to produce toxic substances such as hydrogen chloride and sulfur dioxide upon reaction with water at temperatures above 140 degrees Celsius.