"Frequent Accidents While Using Food Waste Disposers"... Korea Fair Trade Commission Issues 'Consumer Advisory'

Fair Trade Commission Issues Consumer Safety Alert on Food Waste Disposal Use on 31st
"Fingers Account for 67.5% of Total Injuries... Caution Needed When Using"

The Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency issued a consumer safety advisory on the 31st to prevent safety accidents occurring during the use of food waste disposers.

According to the Fair Trade Commission, a total of 1,182 hazard reports related to food waste disposers were received over the past three years (2020?2022), an increase of 876 cases (286.3%) compared to 306 cases before COVID-19 (2017?2019). This increase is attributed to the rise in home cooking and food delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysis of the hazard reports showed that the most safety accidents occurred among people in their 40s, who primarily use food waste disposers. There were 362 cases (30.6%) in their 40s, followed by 335 cases (28.3%) in their 50s, and 240 cases (20.3%) in their 30s.

Among 40 analyzed safety accident cases, the main causes of harm were product-related accidents such as cuts or tears caused by the food waste disposer, accounting for 24 cases (60.0%). Physical impacts such as being pressed or caught accounted for 8 cases (20.0%), and electric shock or chemical exposure accounted for 6 cases (15.0%). Regarding injury symptoms, skin and subcutaneous tissue damage was the most common with 26 cases (65.0%), and the most affected body part was the fingers with 27 cases (67.5%).

The Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency urged consumers to refer to accident cases and precautions when using food waste disposers to prevent safety accidents.

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