2011 Consumer Injury In-formation Trend in Korea

Consumer Safety Department, Korea Consumer Agency

Con-tents

1. Incident/Injury reporting System in Korea

2. What CISS is

3. Source of Data

4. Process of Data Collec-tion

5. Trends in the past 3 years

6.How Data is used

1. Incident Reporting System in Ko-rea

The Framework Act on Consumer – Article 47 (1) (Duty to Report Information on Defects)

If any enterpriser has found that there exist any serious defects in the manufacture, design or indication of goods and etc. provided to consumers which can danger the lives and bodies or damage the property of consumers, he shall report the defects to the head of the competent central administrative agency (including electronic report; hereinafter the same shall apply).

Duty to Reporting within 5 days after

recognition

Found in any serious defects in their prod-

ucts

Business

Local Gov-ernment

2. What CISS is

Consumer Injury Surveillance SystemTo systematically collect and monitor injury information, KCA operates the Consumer Injury Surveillance System (CISS).The function of it can be divided into 2 parts, one of which is collecting in-formation and the other of which is analyzing and investigating the collected consumer injury information

Legal Basis : 「 Framework Act on Consumer 」 Article 8, Article 51, Enforcement Decree and notices Article 39

Consumer Claim (Consumer Counseling

Hotline, Internet)

Injury Information Reporting Agencies

(Hospitals, Fire station, etc.)

Nationwide consumer counseling network

(KCA, Consumer organizations, Local governments)

Cooperating agencies(National Fire Data System of

National Emergency Management Agency)

CISS(Consumer

Injury Surveillance

System)

Proposing corrective measures or

recall to the Business

Proposing safety system improvement

Issuing alarm and announcing the fact

(press release, report, etc.)

Information provision to related agencies

Information

collection

Analysis &

Investigation

2. What CISS is

3. Source of Data

Hospital

Networking to 84 designated injury information reporting centers(66 Hospi-tals, 18 Fire Stations) nationwide in accordance with the Framework Act on Consumer)

National Counseling System-Sobinet

Injury Reporting Hotline

Domestic/Foreign press, etc.

Reporting Agencies

(Hospitals, Fire Sta-tions)

30,814(71%)

Consumer counseling&redress

11,679(27%)

Internet, Hotline 423 (1%)

Overseas information&Local Press

713(2%)

Source of CISS Informa-

tion( as of 2010)

4. Process of Data Collec-tion

5. Trends in Product Safety

CISS Trends in the past 3 years by items(as of 2008-2011)

Industrial goods

109,238(68%)

Food and Medicines30,083(19%)

Medical Services15,110(9

%)

Facilities(Building incl.)

7,186(4%)

Others251(0%) Total Collected Informa-

tion : 161,868 cases

5. Trends in Product Safety Top 10 item in CISS during the past 3 years by Industrial goods &

Facilities(as of 2008-2011) : excluding food, medicines, and medical service

Furni-ture,

18,736

Facilities, 25,682 건

Automobile, 11,687 건

Electri-cal/

Elec-tronic,

13,491 건

Sports/Leisure equip-ments, 9,297 건

Clothing/Fabric goods,

7,652 건

Toy, 3,225 건

Food cans, 2,657 건Cleaning equipment and

supplies, 2,145 건Stationary/Office supplies,

2,355 건 Total Collected Informa-tion : 114,765 cases

5. Trends on Product Safety

Recent Consumer Safety Issues

6. How Data is used

Operates the Injury Infor-mation Evaluation Commit-tee comprised of experts in all levels of society such as government, academia, medical care and legal cir-cle.

- Based on the gathered and analyzed information, the Committee proposes recalls and policy improvements to relevant institutions, urges businesses to take corrective action and informs con-sumers to ensure their safety.

The KCA may take the following actions on the basis of such find-ings reported.

1.issuing consumer safety alerts to prevent consumer injury and acci-dents

2. giving public notice of facts about the safety of Products, etc.

3. recommending corrective actions to the supplier of injurious Products, etc.

4. recommending corrective actions or measures for the improvement of safety to central or regional govern-ments

5. other actions necessary for ensur-ing consumer safety, which are speci-fied by a presidential decree

6. How Data is used

• Super glue-related safety accident • Dibutyl phthalate(DBP) detected in two nail polish products• Increasing escalator safety accidents in summer • Infant and children slip and fall accident (around the veranda)

Information provision to consumers: issuance of consumer watch and alert

• LG drum washing machine: Improved safety lock

Proposing corrective measures to the business

• GM Daewoo Lacetti Premiere recall (Fuel leak)• McLaren collapsible stroller recall • Health supplement recall: Libimax

Proposing corrective measures to the government(or local gov-ernment)