Protect Against Burn Risks! … Busan Education Office Distributes 'Safety Foot Covers' to Meal Service Workers

The appearance of the burn protection gear "Safe Foot Cover" distributed by the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education to prevent burn accidents among meal service workers.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Hwang Du-yeol] The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education will distribute burn protection gear called ‘Safety Foot Covers’ to school and institutional cafeterias to prevent burn accidents occurring during cooking and washing tasks by school meal workers.

As of the end of November this year, there have been 59 industrial accidents reported in school cafeterias in the Busan area. Among these, burn accidents accounted for 20 cases, making up 33.8%.

Among the burn accidents, 10 cases?half of the total?occurred when hot water entered inside boots, causing burns on the soles, ankles, and tops of the feet.

Burns caused by hot water entering inside boots are mostly second-degree or higher burns that damage the epidermis and dermis.

The treatment period takes about 25 to 50 days, and the aftereffects such as changes in skin tone are severe, causing great suffering for the workers.

Accordingly, the Busan Office of Education collected opinions from cafeteria cooks in local schools starting in October to prevent burns inside boots, and based on these opinions, produced ‘Safety Foot Covers’ long enough to fully cover the boots.

The foot covers are made of specially processed fabric with enhanced moisture permeability, receiving positive evaluations for comfort and prevention of eczema.

This distribution includes 2,509 sets, which will be provided to a total of 494 institutions including directly affiliated agencies, public single-kindergartens, and meal cooking teachers at elementary, middle, high, and special schools.

Shin Yong-chae, Director of the Safety Planning Division at the City Education Office, said, “We will continue to spare no support so that workers in the field can perform their duties in a safer and more comfortable environment.”

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