MOEL Ordinance No. 450: verify performance certification for welding blankets (Partial amendment to the Rules on Occupational Safety and Health Standards)
Korea added a statutory performance-certification requirement for welding blankets used to contain sparks. This provision took effect on 2 March 2026, later than the amendment’s other corrections.
Change at a glance
Promulgated: 2025-09-01
Effective: General corrections 1 Sep 2025; welding-blanket certification 2 Mar 2026
Current-text check:
| Item | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Certification | No corresponding certification sentence in Article 241 | Specified statutory performance certification required |
| Timing | Promulgation alone can mislead | Corrections and blanket requirement commence on different dates |
Know the scope of the requirement
Article 241(2) addresses fire-risk work where combustible materials are present. The added sentence in item 4 requires welding blankets used in spark-containment measures to hold performance certification under Article 40(1) of the Firefighting Systems Installation and Management Act.
A generic flame-resistant or heat-resistant sales description does not establish that certification. Do not interpret the provision as covering every ordinary cloth or cover used for any purpose.
Match certification evidence to the supplied product
A useful site check compares manufacturer, model and specification on the supplied item against the certification evidence. Seek confirmation from the supplier if the evidence is missing.
Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and actual work conditions for installation and use. Damage, deterioration and gaps allowing sparks through still need physical inspection.
The educational illustration depicts a review process; it is not proof that any depicted product is certified.
Check your workplace
- Does certification evidence match the actual product?
- Are damage, gaps and nearby combustibles checked?
- Are all other hot-work precautions in place?
Keep the other fire precautions
Existing Article 241 precautions also cover preparation and procedures, hazardous-material information, nearby combustibles and extinguishing equipment, ventilation and fire/evacuation instruction. A certified blanket does not replace checks of tank contents, connected equipment, lower levels or the opposite side of a partition.
Assess fire-watch requirements under Article 241-2 separately. These existing duties were not all introduced by Ordinance 450; the principal addition is blanket certification.
Separate the commencement dates
Most corrections took effect on promulgation, 1 September 2025. The new Article 241(2)(4) sentence was delayed for six months; MOEL identifies 2 March 2026 as its start date.
Other changes correct the machinery term in Article 344(2), the demolition-work terminology in Annex 4, bent to vent in Annex 7 and the weather-legislation cross-reference in Annex 16. Do not assign the delayed blanket date to every correction.
Putting it into practice
Add product identity, certification evidence, physical condition and installation gaps to the hot-work checklist. Link purchasing records to the person inspecting the actual setup before work.
Technical insight
Link certification to the installed item
Evidence must correspond to the product actually supplied. Similar names do not establish that a different item or specification is covered.
Separate purchasing checks of identity and certification from field checks of condition and coverage. This helps assign responsibility without treating a certificate as proof of effective installation.
Sources
- 국가법령정보센터 · 제450호 개정문 / Amendment text대한민국 / Republic of Korea
- 산업안전보건기준에 관한 규칙 · 현행 / Current OSH Standards Rules대한민국 / Republic of Korea
- 고용노동부 · 용접방화포 시행 안내 / Commencement notice대한민국 / Korea