Could hydrogen re-enter the line? The SK Energy Ulsan maintenance explosion
An explosion during maintenance on 17 October 2025 ultimately killed two workers and injured four at SK Energy’s Ulsan facility, according to follow-up reporting.
Case studies
Coordinate the whole building: the Banyan Tree construction-site fire
Six people died in the 14 February 2025 fire at a resort construction site in Gijang, Busan. Hot work, combustible materials and escape arrangements need to be managed together across contractors.
Before going onto a tank: the UTK sampling explosion in Ulsan
An explosion and fire at a UTK storage tank on 10 February 2025 killed one person and injured another. Sampling requires coordination with the people controlling the tank.
Can everyone find the way out? The Aricell primary-lithium battery factory fire
The 24 June 2024 fire at Aricell in Hwaseong, South Korea, killed 23 people. Escape arrangements and understandable training matter alongside fire prevention in battery manufacturing.
A stuck pig is a changed condition: The Ulsan KET pipeline-cleaning fatality
A worker was reported killed during pipeline cleaning in Ulsan in January 2024. The case raises a practical question: what happens to stored pressure and potential projectiles when a cleaning pig stops moving?
Can a nearby unit restart during maintenance? The S-OIL Onsan explosion
An explosion and fire at S-OIL’s Onsan refinery on 19 May 2022 killed one person and injured nine. The case highlights isolation between operating and maintenance areas and the checks needed before restart.