Vulnerable Consumer Groups’ Safety

Korea Consumer Agency

Consumer Safety Department

Contents

Ⅰ. Need for Safety Control on Vulnerable Consumer Groups

Ⅱ. Current States of Safety Incidents

Ⅲ. KCA’s role on Vulnerable Consumer Groups’ Safety

Ⅳ. Ways to Ensure Safety of Vulnerable Consumer Group in the Future

Need for Safety Control on Vulnerable CGs

▣ Definition on Vulnerable Consumer Groups

Vulnerable Consumer Groups are group of people who are not well integrated into

proper welfare system because of ethnic, cultural, economic, geographic, or health charac-

teristics such as children, elderly, disabled. (The Framework Act on Consumer Article 45)

▣ Need for safety control

❍ Vulnerable Consumer Groups have higher expose to hazardous environments

❍ Need for safety control on each vulnerable consumer group characteristics

Ⅰ

CHILDREN ELDERLY DISABLED

▣ Consumer safety on children ❍ In 2009 children under 14 years old death is 440

(5.4 deaths / 100,000 children in 2009)

❍ Republic of Korea’s children death rate is 3rd, after Mexico (2nd) among

OECD countries (WHO)

▣ Types of child incidents ❍ Under 14 years old incidents received in CISS are

5,431 in 2007 , 9,421 in 2008 and 11,427 in 2009 .

❍ Child incidents are keep increasing!!

Current states of Safety IncidentsⅡ

1. Child Safety

Current states of Safety Incidents (ctd)

Incidetns TypeNo. of accidents re-

ceived

Percentage

(%)

ground , structure related 2,046 21.7

furniture 2,024 21.5

sports, leisure, hobby equip-

ments1,660 17.6

others 3,691 39.2

TOTAL 9,421 100

Ⅱ

▣ Child Incidents by Types

Incidents Cause Under 1 1yr~3yr 4yr~6yr 7yr~14yr Total

fall/slip 321 (9.1) 1,575 (44.8) 771 (21.9) 846 (24.1) 3,513 (100)

collision/impact 164 (6.3) 1,307 (50.2) 571 (21.9) 563 (21.6) 2,605 (100)

stuck, pushed 49 (6.8) 335 (46.2) 194 (26.8) 147 (20.3) 725 (100)

swallowed/breath in 90 (14.6) 346 (56.0) 137 (22.2) 45 (7.3) 618 (100)

tear/cut 35 (6.2) 215 (37.9) 116 (20.5) 201 (35.4) 567 (100)

pierced 20 (7.0) 129 (44.9) 60 (20.9) 78 (27.2) 287 (100)

▣ Child Incidents by Age

Current states of Safety Incidents (ctd)Ⅱ

No. of incidents, Percentage(%)

▣ Elderly safety problem ❍ Republic of Korea consists of 7.2% of population whose age is over 65, and expected to be 14% in year 2018. ❍ Safety incident is major cause of death among elderly, and considered to be major social issue due to his/her loss of self-caring ability, long period of pain, cost of medical care and lowering quality of life.

▣ Type of Elderly incidents ❍ Elderly over 65yrs old incidents have been received in CISS are 1,339 (2007), 2,082(2008) 2,191(2009), increasing each year.

❍ Especially between Jan 2010 to July 2010, total of 1,422 received in relations to house interior material problems such as stones, tiles, concrete steps, vinyl floorings, etc.

Current states of Safety Incidents (ctd)Ⅱ

2. Elderly Safety

Items No. of incidents Rate (%)

interior material 355 25.0

hospital service 281 19.8

convenience equipments 131 9.2

others 655 46.0

Total 1,422 100.0

▣ Elderly Incidents Types Accordance to Different Causes

Current states of Safety Incidents (ctd)Ⅱ

▣ Disabled safety issues and states

❍ Republic of Korea consists of 4.4% of disabled persons, 2.14 million.

90% of them are acquired disabled (by accidents).

❍ In case of Korea, safety of disable are enforced with ‘Welfare of Disabled Persons

Act’.

Current states of Safety Incidents (ctd)Ⅱ

3. Disabled person safety

▣ Enforcing data collection on vulnerable consumer groups’ incidents. ❍ KCA has collected 43,629 incident reports in 2010, 11.4% more than in 2009 of 39,171 incidents ❍ Collected data is processed accordance to age, items, locals, to be indicated for use focused on vulnerable populations.

▣ Enforcing safety by research and investigation on vulnerable consumer groups ❍ Improving vulnerable consumer groups safety by injury information analysis, project investigation ❍ Investigations are performed on items such as child snack nutrient indication improvement, children cloth fire vulnerability, elderly health food, wheelchair safety in order to draw voluntary correction or suggest an improved way to authorities.

KCA’s role on Vulnerable Consumer Groups

safety

Ⅲ

sorts 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011

Alerts 1 5 7 1 2 4 1 2

Warning - - - 1 2 7 12 5

Total 1 5 7 2 4 11 13 7

▣ Public Relations (Issuing Consumer Safety Alerts and Warning) ❍ mini cup jelly incidents alert, children magnetic swallow incidents alert, etc. (related to consumer safety)

KCA’s role on Vulnerable Consumer Groups

safety

Ⅲ

▣ Alerts and Warnings IssuedNo. of incidents

Year Contents

2009- Consumer protection information on elderly, women, youth, multicultural family information booklet. - Juvenile consumer protection information booklet

2010

- Living as a smart consumer in Korea(for elderly and youth)- Elderly protection booklet board activity, consumer focused contents- Short movie for disabled consumer’s protection development (for Visually impaired- 1st year)

2011

-Short movie for disabled consumer’s protection development (for Visually impaired- 2nd year)- Elderly medical care service related leaflet-Children and juvenile, multicultural family contents development-Children safety focuced computer game (in progress)

▣ Vulnerable consumer groups relations. As an extension of public relation policies such as government consumer policies, vulnerable consumer groups protection is selected as a core projects of year 2010, and proceeded accordingly.

KCA’s role on Vulnerable consumer groups

safety

Ⅲ

▣ Networking and sharing of incident reports received.

❍ International cooperation efforts

❍ Formation of a consultative group

▣ Performing scientific investigations

▣ Ensuring safe environment for vulnerable populations

Making a safe environment for consumers!!

Ways to Ensure Safety of Vulnerable Con-sumer Groups in the FutureⅣ

Thank you !