April 19, 2024
Economy
Category 3-4 toxic disinfectant victims to receive state support
[THE INVESTOR] The South Korean government is close to providing state support for victims from the use of toxic humidifier disinfectant classified into categories 3-4, whose suffering was deemed less directly connected to problematic products.
Such decision came after lawmakers at the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee reached a conclusion on Dec. 29 to create a relief fund for victims in categories 3-4, by ordering companies responsible for selling or manufacturing toxic humidifier disinfectant -- Oxy Reckitt Benckiser and SK Chemicals -- to make donations.
Lawmakers, however, failed to agree on applying exemplary damages on those companies, as some pointed out that that current law can punish companies with compensation for damages.
According to the government’s current victim verification process, set in 2014, the scale goes from 1-4, with one being highly certain the health damage resulted from the use of toxic humidifier disinfectants.
Based on personal clinical results, diagnostic images and the level of exposure, victims who suffered lung diseases are classified as category 1 or 2 victims, while those with other respiratory-related diseases fall into categories 3-4.
Self-claimed victims, their families and civic groups have been demanding the government broaden the scope of the victim recognition and compensation process to include non-lung-related symptoms.
Since July, the Environment Ministry has been providing government subsidies to humidifier disinfectant victims in categories 1-2 with monthly living costs and nursing fees.
The latest data in May showed that there were 309 victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants classified in categories 3-4, compared to 221 victims in categories 1-2.
When Oxy Reckitt Benckiser -- formally renamed Reckitt Benckiser Korea since 2014 -- announced the final compensation plan in August, categories 3-4 victims were excluded from the compensation list.
The company said it would compensate up to 350 million won ($290,000) to victims categorized upon government investigation as categories 1-2, but it was bitterly opposed by the victims’ group that the final plan does not cover all victims as it leaves out those classified category 3-4.
RB Korea is responsible for some 4.4 million toxic humidifier disinfectant sold between 2000 and 2014, accountable for 62 percent of a total volume in the humidifier disinfectant market.
In 2011, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially confirmed the link between health damages of victims and the use of toxic humidifier disinfectant.
So far, 189 deaths, mostly of lung failure, have been formally recognized as being linked to the products. Damage claims filed this year have reached over 3,400.
By Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald (ddd@heraldcorp.com)
Such decision came after lawmakers at the National Assembly’s Environment and Labor Committee reached a conclusion on Dec. 29 to create a relief fund for victims in categories 3-4, by ordering companies responsible for selling or manufacturing toxic humidifier disinfectant -- Oxy Reckitt Benckiser and SK Chemicals -- to make donations.
Lawmakers, however, failed to agree on applying exemplary damages on those companies, as some pointed out that that current law can punish companies with compensation for damages.
According to the government’s current victim verification process, set in 2014, the scale goes from 1-4, with one being highly certain the health damage resulted from the use of toxic humidifier disinfectants.
Based on personal clinical results, diagnostic images and the level of exposure, victims who suffered lung diseases are classified as category 1 or 2 victims, while those with other respiratory-related diseases fall into categories 3-4.
Self-claimed victims, their families and civic groups have been demanding the government broaden the scope of the victim recognition and compensation process to include non-lung-related symptoms.
Since July, the Environment Ministry has been providing government subsidies to humidifier disinfectant victims in categories 1-2 with monthly living costs and nursing fees.
The latest data in May showed that there were 309 victims of toxic humidifier disinfectants classified in categories 3-4, compared to 221 victims in categories 1-2.
When Oxy Reckitt Benckiser -- formally renamed Reckitt Benckiser Korea since 2014 -- announced the final compensation plan in August, categories 3-4 victims were excluded from the compensation list.
The company said it would compensate up to 350 million won ($290,000) to victims categorized upon government investigation as categories 1-2, but it was bitterly opposed by the victims’ group that the final plan does not cover all victims as it leaves out those classified category 3-4.
RB Korea is responsible for some 4.4 million toxic humidifier disinfectant sold between 2000 and 2014, accountable for 62 percent of a total volume in the humidifier disinfectant market.
In 2011, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officially confirmed the link between health damages of victims and the use of toxic humidifier disinfectant.
So far, 189 deaths, mostly of lung failure, have been formally recognized as being linked to the products. Damage claims filed this year have reached over 3,400.
By Kim Da-sol/The Korea Herald (ddd@heraldcorp.com)
