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At a company that manufactures air conditioner accessories in Changwon, 16 workers were acutely poisoned by hazardous chemicals.

This is the first confirmed case of occupational disease since the Enforcement of the Serious Accident Punishment Act.



This is KNN reporter Kim Min-wook.



<Reporter> About



20 supervisors from the Busan Employment and Labor Administration and the Changwon branch raided and searched a manufacturer of air conditioner accessories in Changwon.



On the 10th, one worker was poisoned with a chemical used in washing, and 71 people were investigated, and 16 people were acutely poisoned.



This is more than six times the exposure limit, with one being hospitalized and the rest being treated at home.



[Doosung Industrial worker in his 60s: The company said that it was over 200, but when I did it the second time.

(What is the normal level?) They say the normal level is 30-40.]



This is the first time an occupational disease has appeared in an industrial setting since the Serious Accident Punishment Act came into effect last month.



This chemical is 'trichloromethane', a hazardous substance to be controlled, which is harmful enough to cause toxic hepatitis.



[Cho Seong-shik/Professor, Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Dong-A University Medical School: Chronic exposure can cause liver damage such as toxic infections and kidney and kidney diseases.]



However, the company does not install the local exhaust system required by law .

turned out not to be.



The company claims that it is unfair that the supplier gave a different chemical than what was actually ordered.



[CEO of Doosung Industry: As a result of investigation by the Ministry of Labor, the substance is completely different from the ingredients in the MSDS we selected, that is, the material safety data sheet…

.

It has already been found that it is chloroform (= trichloromethane).]



The Ministry of Employment and Labor announced on the 16th that it had confirmed an occupational disease at the workplace and issued an order to stop work.



The Ministry of Employment and Labor is investigating the case of Doosung Industrial's CEO and the corporation on charges of violating the Industrial Safety and Health Act.



(Video coverage: Jung Chang-wook KNN)