"SK Battery Fined 100 Million Won in the US"... Battery Workers' Health Under Scrutiny

Exterior view of SK On's Georgia Commerce plant. Photo by SK

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U.S. authorities are repeatedly imposing restrictions over safety and health issues concerning local workers at domestic battery companies that have expanded into the United States. This is being seen as another adverse factor for battery companies already facing a downturn in market conditions this year.

On the 18th (local time), the U.S. Department of Labor announced that "SK Battery America (the U.S. subsidiary of SK On) has committed seven violations, including exposing battery plant employees to metals such as nickel, and will be fined $70,000 (approximately 93.66 million KRW)."

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), under the U.S. Department of Labor, conducted an investigation from June to November last year and imposed fines for reasons including: continuous noise averaging over 85 dB (lack of monitoring system); employees handling nickel, cobalt, manganese, etc., being exposed to respiratory hazards; failure to provide clean disinfected masks and the need for powered air-purifying respirators (PAPR)-level respiratory protection; absence of emergency showers for workers handling corrosive substances (e.g., maleic acid and additives to prevent battery fires); and failure to provide management or engineering controls to reduce exposure levels for workers handling nickel powder bags.

Most of these violations occurred in the mixing process of cathode and anode materials. It was pointed out that workers operating the 'hopper machine,' which weighs and fills powdered cathode and anode materials during the mixing process, could be exposed to risks such as noise and dust. OSHA particularly reported that workers handling cathode powder were exposed to work environments exceeding the permissible exposure limit (PEL) set by OSHA. In the case of nickel, an airborne concentration of 24.46 mg per cubic meter was detected, which is 24 times the standard limit of 1 mg per cubic meter.

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Nickel, cobalt, and manganese, the main raw materials of ternary batteries primarily produced by the three major domestic battery companies, are toxic. These raw materials are heavy metals that can cause toxic effects if inhaled in amounts exceeding certain levels. Joshua Turner, director of OSHA’s Eastern Atlanta office, stated, "The lithium battery industry has experienced unprecedented growth, and with it comes an increased responsibility to ensure the safety of those at the forefront of innovation. Battery raw materials can cause permanent health problems, and SK Battery America is well aware of this."

SK On said, "We are currently discussing and reviewing the investigation results with the authorities," adding, "We will work closely with the authorities to resolve related concerns going forward." SK On operates two battery plants in Commerce, Jackson County, Georgia, employing about 3,100 workers.

LG Energy Solution was also fined last year for safety issues. Last year, U.S. authorities fined $270,000 (approximately 360 million KRW) to Ultium Cells, a joint venture between LG Energy Solution and General Motors (GM), for safety regulation violations at its Warren plant in Ohio. OSHA took this action following an investigation into the causes of explosions and fires at the plant. The investigation uncovered 19 safety and health violations, including failure to conduct safety and emergency response training and non-compliance with personal protective equipment usage standards.

Professor Lee Ho-geun of the Automotive Department at Daeduk College said, "The relatively small amount of the fines does not indicate a fatal defect in the entire process but should be interpreted as a warning. However, there is room to improve, such as installing decompression equipment or enhancing the ventilation system to protect workers’ respiratory health. This could be linked to process efficiency or infrastructure construction costs."

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