Worker suffers burns after hot adhesive and steam leak at Gunsan factory

A worker in his forties suffered second-degree burns across his body after hot adhesive material and steam leaked at a factory in Gunsan, North Jeolla, local outlets reported on October 18. The incident occurred at about 10:50 a.m. on October 17 in the city's Soryong-dong area. Yonhap and Dong-A Ilbo described the site as a factory producing adhesive for tyres, while Newsis described it as an adhesion-promoter plant. All three reports said the escaping material and steam were at about 170 degrees. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

The worker was taken to hospital and was receiving treatment, the reports said. Newsis identified him only as a 45-year-old man and reported that he had been transferred to a hospital specialising in burns in Daejeon. Yonhap cited Gunsan police and the North Jeolla fire service for its account of the incident. Newsis and Dong-A Ilbo also cited the regional fire service in reporting the leak and the worker's injuries. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]

Police are investigating how the accident happened. Yonhap reported that they believed pressure caused material inside machinery to spray out during cleaning. Dong-A Ilbo likewise described machine cleaning, reporting a police assessment that water and liquid were expelled while hot water was being used for the work. Newsis gave a more specific account of the equipment being handled: it reported that police believed the worker was opening a flange, a component connecting pipes inside the machinery, when the internal adhesion promoter suddenly escaped. The outlets presented those descriptions as preliminary police assessments while inquiries into the exact circumstances continued. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]