A call for action from workers, local residents, and consumers: a safe society from toxic chemicals

In 2016, it was revealed that many children and pregnant women had been injured or killed by disinfectants for home humidifiers in South Korea (hereafter Korea). Criminal trials against the companies that manufactured, imported, or sold such products are now under way and a consumer boycott against them has gained widespread public support, however, more fundamental changes toward a society that is safe from toxic chemicals have yet to be achieved. In this context, a group of experts and non-governmental organization (NGO) activists gathered to diagnose the current conditions of controls over toxic chemicals in Korea, and to propose policy alternatives. Based on a series of discussions, a consensus report was drafted by Shinbum Kim, a researcher of the Wonjin Institute for Occupational and Environmental Health. The draft was revised several times with comments from professional communities. The final version was endorsed by representative professional associations including the Korean Society for Environmental Health and Toxicology, the Korean Society for Occupational and Environmental Medicine, the Korean Industrial Hygiene Association, the Korean Academic Society of Occupational Health Nursing, and 549 healthcare professionals affiliated to NGOs such as the Association of Physicians for Humanism. On July 11, 2016, the agenda was finally released to the public.