Gyeongnam Office of Education Seeks Measures Against Lung Cancer in School Meal Workers

On the 27th, CECO Holds Discussion Forum on Current Issues Diagnosis and Countermeasures

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Lee Seryeong] The Gyeongnam Office of Education will hold a forum on diagnosing and addressing the issue of lung cancer among school meal workers at 10:30 AM on the 27th in the meeting room on the 7th floor of Changwon Convention Center (CECO).

According to the provincial Office of Education, the forum will feature discussants including lung cancer specialists, occupational and environmental medicine professors, and team leaders from the Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency.

Attendees will include officials from the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Employment and Labor, city and provincial offices of education, labor unions, and workers.

Gyeongnam Office of Education.
Photo by Lee Seryeong

The discussants will share opinions and discuss measures regarding ▲the current status of female lung cancer ▲criteria for lung cancer screening diagnosis ▲ventilation methods.

They will also exchange views on managing carcinogenic substances in cooking fumes, which are high-concentration fine dust and exhaust generated during high-temperature frying or stir-frying.

An official from the provincial Office of Education stated, “Since lung cancer among school meal workers was recognized as an occupational disease in February 2021, it has emerged as a social issue. Our Office of Education has taken the lead in addressing these issues by advocating for institutionalizing health examinations for meal workers with lung cancer, establishing work environment management standards, and operating joint response teams at the Council of Provincial and Metropolitan Superintendents of Education in cooperation with the Ministry of Employment and Labor.”

Safety General Manager Ahn Seung-gi said, “We expect practical solutions to the lung cancer problem among meal workers through this forum. We will do our best to create safe schools free from industrial accidents by actively improving ventilation facilities and managing workers’ health.”

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