The Korea Institute of Materials Science (KIMS, President Lee Jeong-hwan), a government-funded research institute under the Ministry of Science and ICT, has been recognized for its contribution to creating a safe research environment.

The Korea Institute of Materials Science announced on the 2nd that it had received certification as an excellent safety management laboratory in the 2022 safety management excellent laboratory certification examination hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The eight laboratories that have received certification this time are: △EB-PVD Laboratory △Ti Plastic Deformation Laboratory △Nanomagnetic Powder Laboratory △3D Shape Control Laboratory △Pathogen Removal Material Laboratory △Composite Material Properties Laboratory △Residual Stress Laboratory △Dynamic Properties Evaluation Laboratory.

This is the largest number of new certifications (as of 2022-1 and 2) among government-funded research institutes that received new safety management excellence research lab certification this year.

The Safety Management Excellent Research Lab Certification System is a system in which the government certifies laboratories with excellent safety management levels and activities through expert review, with the aim of strengthening the autonomous safety management capabilities of science and technology laboratories established at universities and research institutes and discovering and disseminating safety management standard models.

The evaluation criteria are set forth in the regulations on the operation of the safety management excellent laboratory certification system, with 30 points for the laboratory safety environment system, 50 points for the laboratory safety environment activity level, and 20 points for the safety awareness of laboratory safety management personnel, resulting in 80% of the score in each field. Above, the total score must be 80 points or higher and all four required items must be met.

Director Lee Jeong-hwan of the Materials Research Institute said, “Developmental research results can be created only when the safety of the research environment is a prerequisite,” and added, “Following last year’s KOSHA-MS certification for the Occupational Safety and Health Management System, we promise to make even greater efforts to spread a safety culture and create an excellent research environment, taking this certification as an excellent safety management laboratory as an opportunity.”