▲Semiconductor/Display Industry Notification Standards (Image Source: Ministry of Environment)

Applicable to electronic integrated circuit manufacturing, diode, transistor and similar semiconductor device manufacturing, etc.
Ensuring facility safety through specifying performance standards for detection and alarm equipment and self-inspection during normal times

The Korea Chemical Safety Agency announced that it will apply the standards for semiconductor-tailored handling facilities to the display manufacturing industry after gathering opinions from the industry that it is difficult to apply the manufacturing and use standards for existing hazardous chemical handling facilities, and after reviewing the technology by experts.

The National Institute of Chemical Safety will change the name of the Semiconductor Industry Notice to 'Notice on the Installation and Management of Hazardous Chemical Substance Handling Facilities in the Semiconductor and Display Manufacturing Industries' from December 29 in order to apply the standards for customized semiconductor handling facilities to the display manufacturing industry, and will expand the scope of application of this notice to the display manufacturing industry from 2024.

This change in the standard notification was made in response to the industry's opinion that it is difficult to apply the manufacturing and use standards for existing hazardous chemical handling facilities to the characteristics of display manufacturing facilities, and after conducting on-site investigations and technical reviews by inspection agencies (Korea Environment Corporation, Korea Occupational Safety and Health Agency, Korea Gas Safety Corporation) and experts from academia, and receiving opinions from civil society, the company confirmed that it is similar to the semiconductor industry and aligned the applicable standards with the semiconductor manufacturing industry.

This revision of the standards will be applied to the Korean Standard Industrial Classification (Statistics Korea) In addition to the electronic integrated circuit manufacturing industry (2611) and the diode, transistor and similar semiconductor device manufacturing industry (2612) according to the notice, the handling and production facilities of hazardous chemicals at display manufacturing businesses corresponding to the display device manufacturing industry (2621) will also be subject to the standards of the semiconductor industry notice.

In addition, the performance standards for detection and alarm equipment recently used in the display and semiconductor industries have been specified, and management standards have been established to ensure the safety of facilities through regular self-inspections and to minimize damage to local communities and residents through rapid response in the event of a chemical accident.

With this change in notification, the display industry can now have its finished products and module facilities that have received international certification recognized as complying with facility standards during inspections, and small-scale facilities with safety device standards inside the cover can be subject to small-scale handling facility standards.

Since last year, the National Institute of Chemical Safety has been continuously developing standards for hazardous chemical handling facilities tailored to industry and process characteristics, and it is expected that there will be more industries that require tailored standards. It plans to conduct a demand survey targeting the industry in the first half of next year as well.

Park Bong-gyun, the director of the National Institute of Chemical Safety, said, “Since the characteristics of facilities differ depending on the industry, there may be differences in on-site implementation capabilities,” and added, “We will continue to establish handling facility standards that can increase the implementation capabilities of workplaces while ensuring safety in accordance with on-site conditions.”