Kumho Petrochemical steps up safety, environmental management

Kumho Petrochemical Group is strengthening safety and environmental management across its affiliates to support sustainable growth, stepping up efforts to identify workplace hazards, prevent accidents and reduce environmental impacts.

The group's four petrochemical affiliates — Kumho Petrochemical, Kumho P&B Chemicals, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals and Kumho Polychem — jointly operate a safety, health and environment management system, with each company tailoring its measures to its own operations.

Kumho Petrochemical focuses on identifying and addressing potential hazards before they lead to accidents, conducting risk assessments covering potential incidents and near misses during production and work processes. Last year, the company revised its assessment procedures to improve documentation and monitoring.

It is also deploying more smart safety technologies at its facilities, including intelligent surveillance systems, smart airbags, safety helmets and virtual reality equipment for safety training.

Kumho P&B Chemicals is focusing on hazardous chemical management and emergency response measures. It has appointed additional personnel to oversee hazardous chemical management and provides regular training for managers and workers handling such substances.

The company also conducts monthly emergency drills to prepare for potential chemical accidents and is adding detection equipment and protective gear to strengthen safeguards against chemical accidents.

Meanwhile, Kumho Resort conducts regular risk assessments at its facilities, setting site-specific safety goals and operating a near-miss reporting system to identify and address potential hazards before they lead to accidents.

On the environmental front, Kumho Mitsui Chemicals is working to reduce emissions and improve resource efficiency across its production processes. It operates a system to detect pollutants in wastewater before it is discharged in the final stage and sets internal targets for controlling air pollutants.

The company is also using electrolysis technology to recover raw materials, including chlorine and caustic soda, from high-salinity wastewater, while reusing steam condensate and cooling water to reduce wastewater discharge and water consumption.

Kumho Polychem is working to improve waste management and increase recycling. It separates and stores waste according to its characteristics and prioritizes recycling options when selecting waste disposal contractors.

It also conducts regular inspections of contractors' facilities to ensure waste is handled in compliance with regulations, monitoring the process from generation through final disposal.

The company is also stepping up efforts to involve employees and partner companies in workplace safety. It has incorporated a zero-accident target into performance evaluations for all employees and expanded workplace safety training to include office staff at its headquarters.

It also holds regular safety meetings with partner companies to strengthen safety practices across its operations.

“We will continue to prioritize the safety of our employees and workplaces while improving production processes and management systems to reduce environmental impacts,” the group said.

“We also plan to further integrate safety and environmental considerations into our business operations as part of our broader efforts to support sustainable growth.”