1. Reason for Proposal 

As the risk of large-scale fires caused by primary lithium batteries became a reality—such as the primary lithium battery fire at a battery factory in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province (June 24, 2024), which resulted in numerous casualties (23 deaths, 8 injuries). 

Although lithium is classified as a hazardous material under the Hazardous Materials Safety Management Act and is subject to safety management regarding storage, handling, and transportation, primary lithium batteries manufactured in product form are excluded from the scope of the same Act. 

Consequently, systematic safety management standards for primary lithium batteries, which carry a high fire risk, remain inadequate. In addition, with the recent increase in the use of lithium batteries in battery and electronic products, a large number of waste batteries have been mixed into resource circulation facilities, leading to numerous fires caused by spontaneous combustion upon contact with rainwater or moisture, highlighting the lack of safety management standards for waste batteries as well. 

Accordingly, by designating primary lithium batteries and waste batteries—which carry risks of rapid combustion and explosion in the event of a fire—as special combustibles under Article 17, Paragraph 5 of the Act on Fire Prevention and Safety Control, this amendment aims to strengthen safety management standards during storage and handling and to prevent the occurrence of fires and casualties.

2. Main Contents 

A. Newly adding "Lithium metal batteries and waste batteries" to the items of special combustibles and setting the designated quantity to 200kg (Draft Annex 2) 

B. Establishing separate storage and handling standards in consideration of the fire characteristics of lithium metal batteries and waste batteries (Draft Annex 3)