Chemical Safety Agency Publishes Technical Document on Chemical Accident Investigation with WHO

The Chemical Safety Agency under the Ministry of Environment announced on the 10th that it will publish a technical document titled "Case Study on Health Impact Management of Chemical Accidents" in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Health to share experiences of health impact investigations on residents affected by chemical accidents.

This technical document is part of the "Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management" project and was created to share South Korea's chemical accident health impact investigation techniques with the international community and to promote proactive chemical accident prevention and response through international cooperation. The document is composed of △ Changes in chemical substance management △ Health impact investigation methods △ Health impact damage assessment methods △ Lessons learned from accidents △ Recommendations for other countries.

Korea Chemicals Safety Agency Publishes Technical Document on 'Case Studies of Health Impact Management in Chemical Accidents'

The document introduces the domestic health impact investigation procedures and characteristics carried out over 10 years since 2014, focusing especially on the establishment of a legal framework for chemical accident investigations following the hydrofluoric acid gas leak accident at Gumi 4th Industrial Complex, Gyeongbuk, on September 27, 2012, the establishment of a constant preparedness system through cooperation with regional base medical institutions, mental health management and health damage assessment for victims, and support for follow-up investigations to confirm chronic health effects.

The Chemical Safety Agency held an "International Conference on Public Health Management of Chemical Accidents" with the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Health in July this year to share domestic cases with countries in the Western Pacific region, and continues to strive to advance chemical accident health impact investigation techniques and disseminate related experiences.

Akeem Ali, Director of the WHO Asia-Pacific Centre for Environmental Health, said, "Our organization supports WHO member countries in the Western Pacific region to address environmental issues, including those related to chemical safety," adding, "This technical document was published together with our partner, the Chemical Safety Agency, to enhance capabilities and capacities regarding environmental and health issues."

Park Bong-gyun, Director of the Chemical Safety Agency, stated, "We hope that our country's advanced experience will be helpful to Asian countries and WHO member states struggling with chemical accident response."

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