Sterilizer victims wll sue British firm

Relatives of victims of “killer” humidifier sterilizers and civic activists protest near a Seoul office of Reckitt Benckiser, a British firm that sold the products in Korea, Wednesday. / Courtesy of the Asian Citizen’s Center for Environment and Health

By Kim Se-jeong

Victims of humidifier sterilizers and their relatives said Wednesday that they will file a damages suit against Reckitt Benckiser, a British company that sold the sterilizers in Korea, in a U.K court.

“With legal action in the U.K., we are hoping to let the public in the U.K and in Europe know that Reckitt Benckiser’s products are dangerous. Hopefully this will pressure them into apologizing,” Kang Chan-ho, leader of family members, said at a gathering outside the Oxy Reckitt Benckiser office in Seoul, Wednesday.

The announcement came days returned from the U.K. where they visited the company’s headquarters to protest.

Kang has a nine-year-old daughter suffering from lung problems due to the sterilizers. They both went to England last week.

The British company told the families that the main responsibility for their health problems lay with Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, the Korea subsidiary of the company, not the parent company.

Almost 500 people fell ill after using the humidifier sterilizers in Korea, with 142 dying as a result. Oxy Reckitt Benckiser’s product was one of 11 brands sold on the Korean market at that time, and the government believes 80 percent of the victims used Oxy products. Hanvit Chemical was the manufacturer.

Most victims were children and women who used the products to cope with the cold and dry winter. No one knew what was causing the unidentified sickness and death at first. In August, 2011, the government announced that the deaths were related to sterilizers. All 11 humidifier products were banned immediately.

The most recent victim was Lee Si-yeon, 45, from Daejeon, who died earlier this month. She suffered pulmonary fibrosis before her death. Her family said she had used the British company’s product since 2001.

The family members have several ongoing compensation suits against Oxy Reckitt Benckiser, the government and Hanvit Chemical.

Kang said he was disappointed by the mother company’s response. “They showed sympathy to what had happened to the victims, but said that the Korean branch is responsible, not them.”

The British company donated 5 million pounds to pay for medical treatment and funerals for the victims. The Guardian newspaper based in London, reported that the company does not want to make an apology or to take further action. Oxy Reckitt Benckiser was not available for comment.

The family group stayed in the U.K. for a week and their trip drew attention from national media, including the Guardian.

The families said they are collaborating with local NGOs in Europe to raise awareness of the hazards of the British company’s products. In Europe, Reckitt Benckiser sells antiseptics, sore throat medicine, air fresheners, among many other products.

The company entered the Korean market in 2001 after acquiring a branch of Oriental Chemical Industries Group, a Korean conglomerate. The Korean firm had famous Oxy brands, and the British company kept the Korean name. Now, it runs its business under a new name, RB Korea, manufacturing detergents and other chemical products.

“In its advertisements, the mother company said it values health and family. But its products ruined the health of people and ruined my family. The mother company should bear responsibility,” Kang said.