By Jane Han
Staff Reporter

The Lee Myung-bak administration is moving to mandate stricter regulations on how asbestos-contaminated tiles are handled, as repeated cases of public exposure to the deadly substance during building renovation or demolition demonstrates that private industry cannot be relied upon to initiate necessary safety measures.

A revised legislation of the Industrial Safety and Health Act, which was deliberated in a Cabinet meeting Tuesday, will update safe work measures and procedures to minimize the potential hazards of asbestos.

Building owners and officials will be required to hire demolition experts to tear down structures if the asbestos used in the construction materials is more than 1 percent of the total within a floor space of 50 square meters or larger.

The stricter rules come at a time when the toxic chemical linked to lung cancer has recently been detected almost everywhere, from industrial sites to consumers goods, including drugs and baby powder.

In April, the government confirmed that asbestos was found near the former Samsung Group headquarters in central Seoul, stirring concerns that individuals near the building may be at risk of breathing in the hazardous material.

The latest discovery at the site of the Samsung building raised the need for tighter regulations overseeing construction work procedure, as many of the country's older buildings facing renovation have been built with slate and heat insulators made out of asbestos.

Aside from setting stricter standards on construction sites, the revision also details the qualifications required to be a licensed asbestos inspection agency and reasons a license can be revoked.

The new provisions are geared to ensure that all buildings and structures get accurate inspections before any work is done.

jhan@koreatimes.co.kr