Samsung Electronics has faced what could generously be called a financial slap on the wrist after allegedly exposing its workers to harmful radiation. Following the conclusion of a nearly four-month investigation, Samsung's consumer electronics division was fined “up to 10.5 million won,” or just under $8,000.
On May 27, South Korean nuclear safety authorities were notified of a radiation exposure incident at Samsung's silicon wafer plant in Giheung. The country's Nuclear Safety Commission (NSSC) immediately ordered Samsung to suspend operations while it assessed the situation and launched an investigation.
Investigators quickly discovered that Samsung's radiation safety team had not ensured the successful operation of a device that automatically turns off radiation when a certain piece of equipment is opened. As a result, two employees responsible for using that equipment were exposed to X-rays “far more than the annual limit,” Bloomberg reported. reported. The workers were hospitalized after showing “abnormal finger symptoms” due to localized exposure.
Credit: Samsung
In the days following the incident, Samsung indicated would cooperate with the investigation, which involved genetic testing, worker interviews, accident reenactment and computer simulation, while “fully supporting (workers') treatment and recovery.” On Thursday, Bloomberg reported that Samsung would face an administrative fine that currently amounts to $7,985 in the United States. Samsung has reportedly promised to “do everything possible” to avoid similar accidents in the future.
The radiation incident is just the latest of Samsung's manufacturing setbacks. Last month, an employee at a Samsung plant in Texas defendant to the company for negligence that he claims caused him to be crushed by 800-pound equipment during the job. In 2023, one employee died and dozens more were hospitalized after Samsung's Vietnam plant mismanaged its toxic chemicals, resulting in methanol poisoning.
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