TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An energy economics observer from Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Fahmy Radhi responded to the smelter furnace fire at PT Tsingshan Stainless Steel (ITSS) in Morowali, Southeast Sulawesi. The fire occurred on Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023, at around 05:30 local time.

According to Fahmy, the incident was proof that the smelter's investors had been neglectful of mining safety standards. "There is an indication that the government considers investor's interest more important than worker's safety," he said in a statement on Monday.

The incident happened at PT Indonesia Morowali Industrial Park (IMIP) smelter area, due to a fire that broke out in 41 nickel smelter furnaces while being repaired by a team of technicians.

The fire killed 13 workers and wounded 39 others. Among those killed were five Chinese workers and eight Indonesian workers. Injured workers have received intensive care at a nearby hospital.

Fahmy stressed that the implementation of occupational safety and health must refer to international standardization instead of national or Chinese ones. According to him, Chinese investors often minimized costs, including those intended for mining safety.

Fahmy believed that the government must implement international security standardization toward all investors, including China, and conduct routine security and safety audits to ensure compliance.

"Don't be keen on inviting smelter investors by neglecting the safety system," he concluded.

RIANI SANUSI PUTRI

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