Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Namyang Research Center Receive 'Excellent Safety Management Laboratory Certification'

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia's Namyang Research Center have been recognized for their excellent safety management capabilities by obtaining safety certification.

On the 3rd, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia announced that two locations within the Polymer Materials Analysis Lab and the Metal Component Analysis Lab in the Basic Materials Research Center at the Namyang Research Center have newly acquired certification in the 'Excellent Safety Management Laboratory Certification' evaluation hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT (hereinafter referred to as MSIT).

This is the first time that any of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia's laboratories have received government-certified Excellent Safety Management Laboratory certification.

The Excellent Safety Management Laboratory Certification system is a program by MSIT to strengthen the autonomous safety management capabilities of domestic science and technology research laboratories. It grants certification to laboratories with outstanding safety management levels and activities to discover and spread safety management standard models.

To receive certification, laboratories must achieve scores of 80% or higher in three areas: ▲Safety Environment System (30 points) ▲Safety Environment Activity Level (50 points) ▲Safety Awareness of Safety Management Personnel (20 points).

The Polymer Materials Analysis Lab and the Metal Component Analysis Lab at the Namyang Research Center, which obtained certification this time, research and develop basic materials and handle various metals and chemical substances.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia announced on the 3rd that two locations within the Namyang Research Center's Basic Materials Research Center, including the Polymer Materials Analysis Room and the Metal Component Analysis Room, have newly obtained certification in the 'Excellent Safety Management Laboratory Certification' evaluation conducted by the Ministry of Science and ICT. The photo shows President Park Jung-guk (center) of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia's Research and Development Headquarters posing while holding the certification plaque. Photo by Hyundai Motor Group

Accordingly, Hyundai Motor Company and Kia have equipped dedicated reagent cabinets that safely store more than 700 types of metals and chemical substances, along with various safety equipment and a strict safety management system.

In addition, they continuously conduct systematic safety management activities such as regular detailed safety inspections, identification and improvement of hazardous safety factors, and safety management education.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia plan to expand the safety management practices of the two certified laboratories as standards to major research facilities within the Namyang Research Center. They also plan to gradually increase the number of laboratories obtaining safety management certification.

Jungkook Park, President of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia's Research and Development Headquarters, said, "Safety is the most important factor, and when safety is secured, researchers can focus on their research activities with peace of mind. Starting with this excellent laboratory certification, we will make greater efforts to create a research center where not a single safety accident occurs."