Korea Consumer Agency: "Most Hazard Information Involves Home Safety Accidents... Children and Elderly Need Caution"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] An analysis of a total of 73,007 hazard reports submitted to the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS) in 2019 by the Korea Consumer Agency and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety revealed that most safety accidents occur within the home (residence).

According to the Consumer Agency on the 12th, among the hazard reports received over the past three years (2017?2019), safety accidents occurring in the home (residence) were the most frequent. The numbers steadily increased from 33,806 cases (47.6%) in 2017, to 38,141 cases (53.0%) in 2018, and 40,525 cases (55.5%) in 2019.

Analyzing cases of safety accidents within the home where the age group was identifiable, children under 10 years old accounted for the highest proportion each year: 16,687 cases (50.2%) in 2017, 15,518 cases (42.9%) in 2018, and 15,838 cases (40.9%) in 2019. The next largest group was those aged 60 and over, consistently exceeding 10% annually.

Among the 15,838 home safety accidents involving children under 10 in 2019, the leading cause was falls, with 3,905 cases (24.7%). This was followed by slipping and tripping (3,286 cases, 20.7%), collisions (3,251 cases, 20.5%), and being pressed or caught (1,230 cases, 7.8%).

For the 5,117 home safety accidents involving elderly people aged 60 and over in 2019, slipping and falling was the most common cause, accounting for 2,415 cases (47.2%). The proportion of accidents occurring in bathrooms and restrooms was relatively high at 19.6% (1,003 cases) compared to other age groups.

The Korea Consumer Agency and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety stated, “To ensure the safety of socially vulnerable groups, we plan to collaborate with local governments and related organizations to produce and distribute safety accident prevention guides nationwide, and to carry out various hazard reduction activities.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.