The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Kim Seokjun) has launched a comprehensive inspection to eliminate hazardous and dangerous factors in school cafeterias and to provide kitchen staff with a safe and pleasant working environment.
On July 3, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education announced that it would conduct a detailed on-site inspection based on the results of a full survey of "grease traps" in cafeterias, which will continue until July 15.
This inspection targets 15 schools where it is difficult for the schools themselves to determine whether improvements are needed.
A grease trap is a device that separates oil and food waste generated during meal preparation, preventing them from being discharged directly into the sewage system. However, there have been ongoing concerns that, due to structural issues such as excessive depth, manhole-type structures, and faulty covers, grease traps can pose safety risks to kitchen staff.
Previously, inspections related to grease traps were conducted individually upon school request. However, reflecting on-site feedback, the Busan Metropolitan Office of Education carried out a comprehensive survey of 494 public schools by last month. As a result, 231 schools were found to require improvements, and among them, 216 schools were deemed capable of taking action on their own.
The remaining 15 schools were found to have one or more of four high-risk factors: structures deeper than 1 meter, risk of falls, faulty covers, and structural collision risks in the workspace. These schools will undergo a detailed inspection at the office of education level.
The Busan Metropolitan Office of Education will operate a first-round inspection team composed of safety managers from the Industrial Safety and Health Team and personnel dedicated to serious accident prevention. This team will conduct measurements and listen to user feedback, and if necessary, expand to a second-round joint inspection. The second-round inspection will involve related departments such as the Human Resources, Physical Education, and School Meals Division, and the School Architecture Support Division, and will also review improvement designs and budget allocations.
Superintendent Kim Seokjun stated, "The spaces used daily by school meal staff should no longer be blind spots for danger," and added, "We will actively listen to voices from the field and make every effort to ensure that all schools become safe and healthy workplaces."
Busan Metropolitan Office of Education.
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