Strengthening Safety Management of Non-Face-to-Face and Home Care Devices... Development of Safety Standards for Electric Kickboards

National Institute of Technology and Standards Announces '20201 Product Safety Policy Directions'

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[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bo-kyung] The government is strengthening safety management for non-face-to-face and home care products such as masks, electric massagers, and indoor fitness equipment, which have recently seen increased consumption.

On the 14th, the National Institute of Technology and Standards under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a product safety policy briefing with consumer groups, academia, and experts from related organizations, announcing the "2021 Product Safety Policy Direction." This briefing was organized to secure product safety and promote inter-agency cooperation in response to changes in non-face-to-face consumption trends and technological advancements.

The National Institute plans to include non-face-to-face related products, whose consumption has increased due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as certification target products and conduct focused safety investigations on products currently in distribution.

Non-face-to-face related products such as masks, air purifiers, sterilizers, and electric disinfectors will be added to the safety management targets. Additionally, safety investigations will be intensively conducted on products used for indoor leisure and hobbies. The 20 targeted items include indoor fitness equipment, flooring materials, foot baths, electric massagers, toys, and textile products for infants and children (indoor wear).

Crackdowns on illegal and substandard products in online malls will be strengthened, and the Product Safety Basic Act will be amended to impose obligations on online sellers to block the distribution of hazardous products. There will be focused inspections on illegal, substandard, or high-risk overseas direct purchase products, and customs inspections will be significantly enhanced.

To enable certification reviews of products even during social distancing measures due to COVID-19, a non-face-to-face safety certification (KC) procedure will be introduced.

Furthermore, to activate the launch of new technology products, temporary approvals will be promoted, and an evaluation system will be established for safety management of products equipped with software. Safety management of secondary batteries used in robots and drones will also be pursued.

Management plans will be prepared to allow used batteries from electric vehicles to be used as power sources for camping, and safety standards for new products such as plasma beauty devices and personal mobility devices will be actively developed.

Plasma beauty devices include LED masks, eye massagers, and scalp care devices, while personal mobility devices include electric kickboards, electric two-wheeled parallel vehicles, electric outer-wheel boards, electric two-wheeled boards, and electric two-wheeled parallel vehicles.

In addition, to prevent energy storage system (ESS) fire accidents, an international-level safety evaluation center will be established. Safety standards will be harmonized with the latest international standards to ensure that new technology products are internationally accepted and do not conflict with domestic standards.

A specialized research and support center for evaluating product safety and supporting accident investigations will be newly established, and sector-specific accident investigation centers will be designated to improve the accident investigation operation system. The introduction of a special judicial police system will also be considered to strengthen investigation authority.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy plans to finalize this year’s implementation plan by reflecting opinions from consumer groups and various sectors raised during the policy briefing.

Jung Jong-young, Director of the Product Safety Policy Bureau, said, "Due to COVID-19, changes and challenges are needed in product safety policies in line with the accelerated non-face-to-face consumption and lifestyle trends, as well as technological advancements such as convergence and new technologies. We will actively cooperate with consumer groups, academia, and related organizations involved in product safety to strengthen product safety management capabilities."

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