Transfer of occupational health problems from a developed to a developing country: Lessons from the Japan–South Korea experience

Abstract

Many corporations move their manufacturing facilities or technologies from developed to developing countries. Stringent regulations have made it costly for industries to operate in developed, industrialized countries. In addition, labor costs are high in these countries, and there is increasing awareness among the general public of the health risks associated with industry. The relocation of hazardous industries to developing countries is driven by economic considerations: high unemployment, a cheaper labor force, lack of regulation, and poor enforcement of any existing regulations make certain countries attractive to business. The transfer of certain industries from Japan to Korea has also brought both documented occupational diseases and a new occupational disease caused by chemicals without established toxicities. Typical examples of documented occupational diseases are carbon disulfide poisoning in the rayon manufacturing industry, bladder cancer in the benzidine industry, and mesothelioma in the asbestos industry. A new occupational disease due to a chemical without established toxicities is 2-bromopropane poisoning. These examples suggest that counter-measures are needed to prevent the transfer of occupational health problems from a developed to a developing country. Corporate social responsibility should be emphasized, close inter-governmental collaboration is necessary and cooperation among non-governmental organizations is helpful.

Occupational Reproductive Function Abnormalities and Bladder Cancer in Korea

“…The Korean company might have prevented the outbreak by assuming that the new chemical was toxic even though it did not have any established toxicities at the time. After the outbreak, we reviewed the periodic medical records of Japanese workers exposed to 2-bromopropane and found that mild anemia, which went unnoticed by medical personnel, had occurred in three workers (2). In addition, Ichihara et al (22) found a possible association between hematological indices and individual exposure to 2-bromopropane in workers at a Chinese factory that produced the chemical, although they did not observe cases of severe reproductive toxicity similar to those seen in the Korean workers.…”

“…Many toxic chemicals are widely used in these industries. New chemicals and industries have occasionally been transferred to Korea from Japan (2). …”

Occupational Neurologic Disorders in Korea

“…By the end of 2004, 910 workers had been compensated for carbon disulfide poisoning 8. In 1964, used rayon manufacturing machinery that had been made by the Toray Company (Toyo Rayon) of Japan in 1956 was brought into the factory,4 which led to the use of carbon disulfide in the spinning process at the factory.…”

“…South Korea has experienced rapid economic development since the 1960s, a phenomenon that has caused the Korean economy to shift from labor-intensive (i.e., light) industries to machinery-intensive (i.e., heavy) industries such as automobile, petrochemical, shipbuilding, nonferrous metal, machinery, and se miconductor industries,4 in which neurotoxic chemicals are widely used. Most of the carbon disulfide poisoning cases that occurred in Korea in the 1980s presented with severe neurologic disturbances 5.…”

Recent Problems and Prospects of Occupational Health in Japan

“…And more than 1,000 workers were certified as carbon disulfide poisoning till 2000. The plant was closed in Korea and transferred to China in 1994 [3][4][5] . Disparities in occupational health services for workers between developed countries and developing countries, and also between large-scale enterprises and small-scale ones should be reduced for occupational health for all as the slogan of ICOH.…”