Toxic substances at Samsung's South Korean factory killed 76 people. Here are the safety measures you must know

Beijing time, August 11th evening news, according to Associated Press Korean reporter Youkyung Lee reported that due to the inaction of the South Korean government and Samsung Electronics, more than 200 employees of Samsung's semiconductor and LCD factories became seriously ill, of which at least 76 died.

The report said that according to records from worker safety organization Banolim, more than 200 former employees of Samsung's semiconductor and LCD factories have developed serious diseases, including leukemia, lupus, lymphoma and multiple sclerosis. Most of these employees are in their 20s and 30s, and at least 76 of them have died.

Unfortunately, the South Korean government's inaction made it difficult for these seriously ill employees to obtain compensation, and it also allowed Samsung to conceal the truth from its employees. According to reports, a 22-year-old employee died of leukemia. His family said that Samsung had offered them 1 billion won (about 864,000 US dollars) in compensation to keep them quiet.

A former employee who lost her eyesight due to multiple sclerosis said that the Samsung factory never educated them about which chemicals were harmful to the body. Another former employee who suffered from breast cancer said that Samsung was all about money, recruited uninformed young people from the countryside, and used workers like disposable cups, putting their lives at risk.

Over the past decade, Apple has grown into an international device manufacturer. At the same time, Apple has also strengthened the standards of its suppliers (including Samsung), including working conditions and worker treatment. Even so, the media often exposes violations of these suppliers, such as the use of child labor, excessive overtime, low wages, and even employee suicides.

Li Yuqiong reported in 2012 that more than 30 Samsung employees complained to the Korean Workers' Compensation and Welfare Bureau against Samsung, saying that their illnesses were related to working conditions in the factory. However, the complaint was not recognized, and later at least a dozen employees filed an appeal.

In December 2012, the Korean Workers' Compensation and Welfare Agency announced the results of an arbitration, determining that the poor working environment at a Samsung chip factory caused a female employee to develop breast cancer and die, and required Samsung to compensate the employee's family.

However, South Korean government officials told the media that the interests of enterprises take precedence and it is very difficult to evaluate trade secrets and make claims. Samsung Vice President Soo Ha Baik also said in an interview: "We have the right to protect our third-party information."

In response, Samsung said it has never deliberately prevented employees from obtaining relevant information and stressed that the chemicals used in the factory are transparent and open.

Previously, Korean media reported that in January last year, due to strong protests from employees and their families, Samsung Electronics decided to expand the types of diseases covered by public compensation for "occupational diseases" and the scope of compensation for employees at its semiconductor factories.

The compensation proposed by Samsung Electronics covers five types of blood cancer, including leukemia, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, and myelodysplastic syndrome. This time, brain tumors and breast cancer have also been added.

Samsung Electronics has decided that if employees of semiconductor factories who have been employed or have left the company contract any of the seven diseases, they will be compensated regardless of the causal relationship, provided that they meet the conditions of their position and the time of onset. If certain conditions are met, compensation will also be provided if the disease develops within 10 years after leaving the company.

South Korea: Chemical leak at a lens manufacturing plant poisons 16 people

According to a report by Yonhap News Agency on July 26, a chemical gas leak occurred at a lens manufacturing plant in the Bugang Industrial Park in Sejong City, South Korea at 9:30 am on the 26th. The accident caused 16 workers in and around the factory to suffer from poisoning symptoms such as vomiting and dizziness. Currently, the relevant personnel have been sent to a nearby hospital for treatment.

According to reports, the chemical leaked was about 200-250 liters. A local fire department official said that the chemical leak was not stopped until more than 30 minutes later, so the number of poisoned people may rise.

Main factors of occupational hazards in the electronics manufacturing industry

1. Battery manufacturing

Distribution table of main hazard factors in battery manufacturing industry

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

① Occupational poisoning: chronic manganese poisoning; chronic cadmium poisoning; chronic mercury compound poisoning.

② Occupational photosensitivity dermatitis (asphalt).

③Occupational heat stroke.

④Chemical burns (sulfuric acid, sodium hydroxide).

⑤ Pneumoconiosis: graphite pneumoconiosis; carbon black pneumoconiosis.

2. Electronic and communication equipment manufacturing industry

Distribution table of main hazard factors in electron gun manufacturing industry

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

① Occupational poisoning: methanol poisoning; benzene, toluene, xylene poisoning; carbon monoxide poisoning.

② Graphite pneumoconiosis.

③Chemical burns (ammonia, nitric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid).

④Heatstroke due to high temperature in summer.

⑤Occupational asthma.

3. Circuit manufacturing

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

① Occupational poisoning: nickel carbonyl poisoning; chronic lead poisoning; acute hydrogen fluoride poisoning.

②Hydrofluoric acid causes skin burns.

③Laser damage to eyes.

4. Manufacturing of metal ceramic transmitting tubes

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

①Silicosis.

②Chronic benzene poisoning.

③Chemical burns (hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid).

5. CRT manufacturing

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

① Graphite pneumoconiosis.

② Occupational poisoning: toluene poisoning; trichloroethylene poisoning; cadmium and its compounds poisoning.

③Skin burns caused by hydrogen fluoride.

④Contact dermatitis caused by acetone.

⑤Heatstroke due to high temperature in summer.

6. Capacitor manufacturing

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

① Occupational poisoning: chronic lead poisoning; chronic poisoning by cadmium and its compounds; benzene, toluene and xylene poisoning.

②Benzene can cause leukemia.

③Acetone can cause contact dermatitis.

7. Electronic rectifier manufacturing

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

②Xylene poisoning.

②Acetone causes contact dermatitis.

8. Electronic equipment manufacturing

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

①Chronic lead poisoning.

② Occupational cataract.

② Heatstroke due to high temperature in summer.

9. Manufacturing of other electronic devices

Common occupational diseases and frequently occurring diseases

①Silicosis.

Personal protection

1) Properly equip personal protective equipment

(1) Dust mask

The function of dust masks is to prevent dust inhalation, so the selection of masks mainly considers its dust blocking efficiency, especially the blocking efficiency of respirable dust below 5µm. Dust masks include self-priming filter simple dust masks and self-priming filter compound dust masks. Simple dust masks are divided into two types: without exhalation valve and with exhalation valve. The former inhales and exhales through the filter material, while the latter inhales and exhales separately; the compound dust mask is composed of a dust filter box, an exhalation valve and an inhalation valve, a headband, a half mask, etc., and has separate channels for inhalation and exhalation. At the cement production work site, the dust concentration is generally high, the particles are fine, and they are easy to absorb water and agglomerate. When selecting a mask, it is necessary to consider both a high dust holding capacity and a high filtration efficiency (especially for very fine particles), and a mask with an exhalation valve. There are currently no regulations on the selection of masks for the prevention of pneumoconiosis in my country. However, the principles for selecting masks can be found in the national standard: GB/T 18664-2002 "Selection, Use and Maintenance of Respiratory Protective Equipment".

(2) Gas masks

a. Self-priming filter type gas mask: This type of gas mask is powered by the wearer's own breathing, sucking polluted air into the filter, and then purifying the non-toxic air for human breathing. According to the different structures, it can be divided into two categories: duct type gas mask and direct type gas mask. The former is also called isolation type gas mask, which is composed of a full-face mask that covers the eyes, nose and mouth, a gas filter canister and an airway; the latter is a full-face mask or half-mask directly connected to a gas filter canister (small) or a gas filter box. The small gas filter canister weighs 300g, the medium gas filter canister weighs 300~900g, the large gas filter canister weighs 900~1400g, and the gas filter box weighs 200g.

The functions of filter media mainly include activated carbon adsorption and chemical reaction.

Activated carbon adsorption: Activated carbon is a particle with pore structures of different sizes. When gas or vapor accumulates on the surface of activated carbon particles or in the micropore volume, this phenomenon is called adsorption. This adsorption is gradual until the gas or vapor fills the micropore volume of the activated carbon, that is, it is completely saturated, and the gas and vapor can penetrate the activated carbon bed (that is, thickness). The larger the inner surface of the activated carbon pores, the greater the activity, and the higher the efficiency of adsorbing poisonous gases and vapors.

Chemical reaction: It is a method of purifying air by chemically reacting chemical absorbents with toxic gases and vapors. Different chemical absorbents are used according to different toxic gases and vapors to produce decomposition, neutralization, complexation, oxidation or reduction reactions, as shown in the table.

Table 1 Main chemical reactions between chemical adsorbent and poisonous gas (vapor)

b. Isolation respirators: Isolation respirators are divided into two categories: air supply type and air-carrying type. The air supply type includes three types: electric air supply, manual air supply and self-priming long tube respirators; the air-carrying type includes two types: air respirators and oxygen respirators.
Table Composition and characteristics of various types of respirators

2) Improve the management system of personal protective equipment. Set up or designate a personal protective equipment management agency or organization, equip it with full-time or part-time personal protective equipment management personnel, and establish and improve the procurement, acceptance, distribution, use and scrapping management system of labor protection equipment.

3) Strengthen supervision of workers wearing personal protective equipment. Establish a strict supervision system. During the operation process, urge workers to strictly follow the safety production rules and regulations and the rules for the use of labor protection equipment, correctly wear and use labor protection equipment, and ensure the health of employees.

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