8 out of 10 SMEs Say Extension of Regular Inspections for Chemical Handling Facilities Is Needed

Results of the Survey Following the End of Grace Period for Regular Inspections of Facilities under the Chemical Substances Control Act

Photo by Asia Economy DB

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heeyoon] Eight out of ten small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) believe that the grace period for regular inspections of chemical handling facilities should be extended.

According to the Korea Federation of SMEs on the 20th, a survey of 300 small manufacturing companies subject to the Chemical Substances Control Act (ChemSCA) found that 80.3% of respondents said the grace period for regular inspections of handling facilities should be extended.

The most requested additional grace period was one year at 39.0%, followed by two years or more (29.0%), six months (13.3%), and less than two years (12.9%).

Regarding whether it would be possible to conduct regular inspections starting next month, only 51.7% said it was possible, while 48.3% responded that it was "not possible."

Companies that answered "not possible" cited reasons for non-compliance with handling facility standards as cost burdens for facility investment (49.7%), lack of personnel to respond (27.6%), and physically impossible standards to implement (18.6%).

Compliance inspection possibility for installation standards of handling facilities under the Chemical Substances Control Act. Graph = Provided by the Korea Federation of SMEs

The most necessary government measures for SMEs to comply with ChemSCA (multiple responses allowed) were amendments to laws suited to the field, such as easing standards, at 69.7%, the highest. This was followed by differentiation of handling facility standards by industry and company size through notification revisions (42.0%), and integration of overlapping matters with other laws such as regular inspections and education (24.7%).

The government announced that considering the situation of companies due to the impact of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the grace period for regular inspections of chemical handling facilities, which was scheduled to end at the end of this month, will be extended by an additional three months until the end of this year.

Seo Seungwon, Executive Vice President of the Korea Federation of SMEs, said, "SMEs currently lack the capacity to respond to ChemSCA, so the grace period for regular inspections of handling facilities should be extended until the end of next year," adding, "During the grace period, the government should prepare support measures so that SMEs can comply with regulations by amending laws suited to the field and expanding expert consulting projects."

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