In one of the kitchens in public school, ultra-fine dust mixed with carcinogens was detected 18 times the standard, which was inhaled every day, throughout cooking and cleaning.
One of the cooks working in the school cafeteria says, "you pour water and heat it up and use the medicine, and smoke comes out tremendously. Then, when the smoke enters your eyes with your throat, you feel like your lungs are burning".
Dozens of workers have already collapsed from lung cancer. But the situation under the surface of the water, which was not revealed was even worse.
According to the interim tally of the total lung CT survey of school meal workers, 187 people, or 1% of the 18,000 people who received medical checkups, were suspected of lung cancer. It is 35 times the incidence of lung cancer in ordinary women.
Even, one in three people has nodules in their lungs or abnormalities, so the number of victims is likely to increase. In February last year, a cafeteria worker was diagnosed with lung cancer for the first time.
It has been a year since the government issued guidelines for improving ventilation facilities. However, far from improving ventilation facilities, there are still only four education offices that have made plans, and many are still "undergoing facility inspection."
According to the current speed, it takes at least three years to inspect ventilation facilities, establish plans, plan a budget, and implement them.
I don't know if I should just endure this time, but even today, chefs are eating in the cafeteria filled with the dangers of death, but the pace of thinking about countermeasures is slow.
We need to pay attention to this problem now. We have to create a social atmosphere that prioritizes workers' health over work efficiency.
Writer: Daniel Kim
(Picture from Unsplash)
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